Canadian worker killed in polar bear attack at government radar outpost

Two polar bears have killed a worker in Canada in an extremely rare attack.

The animals attacked and killed the unnamed worker on Thursday at a government radar outpost on Brevoort Island in the Canadian Arctic, said Nasittuq Corporation, the logistics company contracted to operate the site.

In a statement on Friday, the company said: “It is with deep sorrow that Nasittuq Corporation confirms a tragic incident occurred yesterday at one of our work locations on Brevoort Island, Nunavut

“An attack by two polar bears has resulted in the loss of one of our valued employees.

"Nasittuq employees responded to the scene and one of the animals was put down.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends, and colleagues affected by this loss.

“Nasittuq Corporation is providing support to the family of the deceased during this difficult time. Additionally, we are offering counseling services to all employees affected by this.”

The site is one of dozens of North Warning System outposts dotting Canada 's far north, according to CBS News.

The system forms a surveillance tripwire against aircraft incursions or cruise missile attacks.

The radar coverage spans over 3,100 miles from Alaska to Labrador in eastern Canada.

Polar bear attacks on humans are rare but there have been a number of recent incidents in the past few years.

Last year, a polar bear killed a woman and her young son in Wales, Alaska, just below the Arctic Circle.

It marked the first fatal polar bear attack in 30 years in Alaska, the only US state that is home to the animals.

In 2018, a 31-year-old father was killed in a polar bear attack while protecting his children in Canada.

That same year, a polar bear was shot dead after it attacked a guard who was leading tourists off a cruise ship in Norway.

Polar bear numbers are declining as Arctic sea ice continues to melt.

One study in 2020 found that the huge creatures could be extinct within the century and in 2021 scientists in Norway found polar bears were inbreeding as the species fights to survive.

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