Though he put himself at huge risk and was horribly injured, a Canadian man who leapt on a polar bear to stop it from attacking his wife did the right thing, a bear biologist said.
The incident, in the tiny far northern community of Fort Severn, Ontario, is reminiscent of a 2022 grizzly attack outside of Cody in which a Wyoming college wrestler jumped on the bear to save his friend.
He Did The Right Thing
The Nishnawbe Aski Police Service in Canada released only basic information about the Dec. 3 attack, and did not release the victims’ names.
That means it’s tough to tell whether the attack was predatory — which is extremely rare — or simply a surprise encounter, federal bear biologist Frank van Manen told Cowboy State Daily.
He’s the supervisory wildlife biologist for the U.S. Geological Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team.
But whether it was a random meeting or the bear was hunting the couple, the husband was incredibly brave to take action — and incredibly fortunate to have survived.
“Regardless, in this instance the husband made the correct decision to fight back.” van Manen said. “There are a number of circumstances when it makes sense to fight back, and this was one of them.”
Violent Encounter In Driveway
The polar bear attack was sudden, and the man suffered serious injuries to his limbs, according to the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service.
“Following an investigation, police learned a couple — an adult male and adult female — had exited their home before 5 a.m. to find their dogs. While in the driveway of their home, a polar bear lunged at the woman,” the police service stated.
“The woman slipped to ground as her husband leapt onto the animal to prevent its attack. The bear then attacked the male, causing serious but nonlife-threatening injuries to his arm and legs,” the report says.
While the attack was still happening, a neighbor armed with a gun arrived and shot the bear several times. It retreated to a wooded area and died.
The Right Reaction
With grizzlies in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, attacks are almost always territorial or involve a female defending her cubs.
In most instances, it’s recommended to remain calm and back away if possible. Or, if not to lie face-down and cover the back of your neck with your hands, as the bear will likely quit attacking once it realizes the human isn’t a threat.
But in predatory encounters where a bear is trying to hunt somebody down and eat them, people should try to make the bear back down. Or, if all else fails, fight.
“Predatory behavior of bears toward humans is very rare,” van Manen said. “It usually involves the animal showing curious behaviors and intently following or stalking a person. These behaviors are very different from those in surprise encounters.
“In the case of predatory attacks, regardless of bear species, the general recommendation is to stand your ground, make yourself look big, and yell at the bear.”
But if the bear starts mauling you, all bets are off.
“If a predatory bear makes physical contact, fight back with any means you have available, whether it is with bear spray, a trekking pole, rocks or even bare hands,” van Manen said.
There might be other instances where fighting is the best option; for example, “if you are attacked while in a tent,” van Manen said.
Hero Wrestler
The Canadian man’s actions mirror those of Evanston native Kendall Cummings, who jumped on a grizzly when it attacked his Northwest College wrestling teammate Brady Lowry in October 2022.
They were charged by the bear during an apparent surprise encounter while they were shed antler hunting near Cody.
The bear went for Lowry first, but Cummins jumped on it and yanked its ear. The bear turned on him and inflicted serious injuries, from which he eventually recovered.
Contact Mark Heinz at mark@cowboystatedaily.com
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
