A polar bear that attacked a skier in Auyuittuq National Park on Baffin Island last week has been identified as a young female with a broken jaw, an Inuit source told ExplorersWeb. The incident has generated significant discussion online, with some criticizing the decision to kill the animal.
The bear’s injury would have severely impaired its ability to hunt, likely contributing to unusually aggressive behavior. Although specific details of the attack and the skier’s injuries have not been released, the animal was considered a continued threat. Euthanizing it likely prevented further danger to visitors and spared it from prolonged suffering.
The Inuit source emphasized that the decision was rooted in traditional practices and ethical wildlife management: “National parks in Nunavut are co-managed with the nearby Inuit communities. Any safety kills are 99% done by Inuit and they bring others to teach them what to do with the carcass. All the parts are used for clothing and food.”
Locals butcher the bear to ensure there is no waste. Photo: Donald Mearns
“Also, the Inuit worldview sees humans as part of the environment, active users, and part of the food chain. With that comes responsible wildlife management. We’d never leave an injured animal to die painfully,” they continued.
UPDATE: Late on Thursday, a source (name withheld for privacy reasons) contacted ExplorersWeb with this information:
There were four female skiers and one male, traveling as two pairs and one lone female. Two groups, including the lone female, were southbound on the trail. The other group was northbound. By coincidence, all three groups camped near each other that night.
The polar bear dragged the lone female from her tent in the middle of the night. Her shouts awoke the other groups. One individual directly intervened and was able to stop the attack. All five skiers then went to the nearby Summit Lake emergency shelter, where they were able to contact authorities and wait for help.
