Polar bears may look cute, but they’re among the deadliest animals on the planet – it’s just that humans are rarely in close proximity to them. A tragic report published this week reveals just how dangerous these animals can be when humans get too close, after two bears killed a worker at an Arctic radar station in the northern Canadian territory of Nanavut.
The fatal attack is currently under investigation, and the employee who was killed has so far not been named. The ultra-rare attack saw a worker for the Nasittuq Corporation, a logistics firm that operates radar defense sites in the most remote regions of Canada, mauled by the bears while other workers watched in horror.
In a statement, the company said that they are working with local authorities and relevant regulatory agencies to determine how the attack happened.
“The safety and well-being of our employees is our highest priority, and we are deeply committed to ensuring a safe working environment,” the statement reads.
The incident occurred on Brevoor Island, one of dozens of sites used by the North Warning System that detects missiles and aircraft entering Canadian airspace. The network of detection systems spans a region of 3,100 miles.
Polar bear attacks are remarkably rare. Between 1870 and 2014, there were only 73 recorded polar bear attacks across Canada, Russia, Norway, Greenland, and the United States. Out of those 73 attacks, 20 people died and 63 were injured. Roughly eight or nine people are attacked by polar bears every decade, though that number increased somewhat between 2010 and 2014.
Some experts believe that polar bear attacks are on the rise as a result of climate change. According to Todd Atwood, a wildlife biologist representing the U.S. Geological Survey, there is a “perfect storm” of polar bears spending more time on land, struggling to find food, and moving into human settlements to find food.
Atwood is one of many scientists studying the behavior of polar bears. After analyzing the last 150 years of polar bear data and conducting modern surveys, the team found that 61% of bears today rank “below average” in terms of their overall health and condition. Atwood says it means that bears are struggling to find food because of a shortage of sea ice – a natural platform that they use to hunt.
