A tragic incident occurred at a remote government radar site in the Canadian Arctic, where two polar bears attacked and killed a worker, as reported by the facility’s operator, CBS News and Associated Press report, adding that the incident marks at least the second fatal bear attack in the region since last year.
The attack happened last week at the Brevoort Island outpost in Nunavut territory, according to Nasittuq Corporation, the logistics contractor managing the site.
“An attack by two polar bears has resulted in the loss of one of our valued employees,” the company said.
Following the incident, one of the bears was euthanized by responding staff.
This radar site is part of the North Warning System, a network of outposts designed to monitor air traffic and missile threats across more than 3,100 miles from Alaska to Labrador.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends, and colleagues affected by this loss,” Nasittuq Corporation expressed, stating that they are providing support to the victim’s family and counseling to other employees.
While polar bear attacks on humans are rare, this incident underscores a troubling trend, as it marks the second fatal attack in 2023 alone. Last year, a polar bear killed a mother and her young son in Wales, Alaska—an event that represented the first fatal polar bear attack in Alaskan history in three decades.
Also, in 2018, a father lost his life while protecting his children from a polar bear attack in Canada.
The polar bear population is facing significant threats due to rapidly diminishing Arctic sea ice. A study conducted in 2021 highlighted inbreeding within polar bear populations as they struggle for survival, while another study reported a disturbing 10% decrease in genetic diversity on Norway’s Svalbard archipelago from 1995 to 2016.
Additionally, research in 2020 indicated that melting sea ice jeopardizes polar bear diets, raising concerns that the species could face extinction within this century, compounded by declining genetic diversity.
