A skier in Auyuittuq National Park near Pangnirtung, Nunavut, was rescued after being attacked and injured by a polar bear on Thursday, April 24. According to CBC, four other park visitors helped get the victim to an emergency shelter before contacting Parks Canada.
Parks Canada staff arrived around 8:30am Thursday morning. Weather conditions made a helicopter evacuation impossible, so the group was extracted approximately 50 kilometers (~31 miles) to Pangnirtung.
Nunatsiaq News reports that the injured skier was assessed by the health-care team and was not kept for further testing or treatment, though the nature of their injuries is still unknown. The polar bear has been euthanized by Parks Canada and its carcass was turned over to the Pangnirtung hunters and trappers organization.
All visitors to Auyuittuq National Park are required to register all trips and go through an orientation process before entering the area. Visitors are given information on the park’s special features, key hazards, risks, mitigations, regulations and expectations associated with their planned activities.
Carrying of a firearm without a permit is illegal inside the park, though beneficiaries of the Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement and Nunavut Agreement can carry firearms when engaging in traditional activities while in National Parks in their lands. Visitors are encouraged to bring bear spray, noisemakers, electric fences and other polar bear deterrents to keep their groups safe. Read more on polar bear safety in Auyuittuq National Park below.
Avoiding a Polar Bear Encounter in Auyuittuq National Park:
- Ask Parks Canada staff about current bear activity. Some areas may be closed due to bear activity; obey written and verbal warnings.
- Be alert and aware of your surroundings. Scan all around with binoculars at regular intervals. Be vigilant! Watch for signs such as tracks, droppings, diggings, wildlife carcasses and polar bear dens.
- Travel in daylight and avoid areas of restricted visibility. Be especially careful in areas along the coast, where a polar bear may be hidden behind boulders, pressure ridges (pushed up sea ice), driftwood or vegetation.
- Travel in groups and stay together to increase your safety. The larger the group the greater the chances of deterring a bear.
- Never approach a bear for any reason. Every bear defends a “critical space”, which varies with each bear and each situation: it may be a few metres or a hundred metres. Intrusion within this space is considered a threat and may provoke an attack.
- Never approach a fresh kill or carcass as polar bears will defend their food. Adult polar bears will often only eat the fat of seals and other kills, but other bears may scavenge from these carcasses.
- Never feed bears or any wildlife. A bear that finds food from a human source begins to associate humans with food. This can result in the bear losing its natural tendency to avoid people and becoming persistent in its search for human food. The consequences for you and the bear can be serious. A bear that associates food with humans is more likely to injure people and these bears may have to be relocated or killed.
- Pack out all garbage and use sealed bags and containers or bear-proof canisters to store food and garbage.
- Eliminate or reduce odours from yourself and your camp. Avoid using scented soaps and cosmetics and avoid bringing strong smelling foods.
- Consider hiring a guide if you are uncertain about your ability to deal with polar bears. Ask about their experience, how they will avoid encountering a polar bear and about plans of action should you encounter a bear. A larger group can also increase safety, ask about the size of group.
