--- title: "Man Attacks Polar Bear With Bare Hands to Defend Wife" description: "A fearless Canadian has thrown himself on top of a polar bear to protect his wife in the country's far north." date: "2024-12-06" modified: "2024-12-06" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/man-attacks-polar-bear-defend-wife" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "canada" - "polar bears" - "the digest" --- # Man Attacks Polar Bear With Bare Hands to Defend Wife ![A fearless Canadian has thrown himself on top of a polar bear to protect his wife in the country's far north.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Bear Hands A fearless Canadian threw himself on a polar bear to protect his wife in the country's far north. As the [*CBC* reports](), the man fortunately didn't suffer any life-threatening injuries and is expected to make a full recovery. The epic brawl occurred at Fort Severn First Nation, a tiny community of roughly 500 people just under 1,000 miles north of Toronto, Canada. It's the northernmost community in the Canadian province of Ontario. The couple was looking for their dogs when a massive polar bear lunged at the woman. "The woman slipped to ground as her husband leapt on to the animal to prevent its attack," the local Nishnawbe Aski Police Service said in a statement. "The bear then attacked the male, causing serious but non-life-threatening injuries to his arm and legs." ## Claw Machine Unfortunately, the incident did have an unfortunate ending. A neighbor quickly hurried over and shot the bear several times with a gun. According to the cops, the bear ran off into the woods "where it died from its injuries." Polar Bears International director of conservation outreach Alysa McCall told the *CBC* that polar bear attacks on humans are rare, but when they occur, they usually involve a hungry, young, or unwell bear. In the greater Hudson Bay region, what's far more common is that bears go onto the ice to hunt seals this t**i**me of year. "It could be that \[when\] this attack happened, maybe this bear was a little hungrier than usual," McCall told the *CBC*. However, climate change is [wreaking havoc on the area](), changing sea ice patterns, and forcing polar bears further inland, where they often are attracted to the smell of garbage or human food. McCall also had some potentially lifesaving advice. "If you're attacked by a polar bear, definitely do not play dead — that is a myth," she told the *CBC*. "Fight as long as you can." **More on polar bears:** *[Research Finds Polar Bears Can't Adapt to Longer Summers]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()