A local resident shot and killed a polar bear Tuesday after it attacked a woman and her infant son. Both victims died from their injuries, according to the Alaska Department of Public Safety.
Initial reports about the incident indicate the polar bear entered the Wales, Alaska, community and chased multiple residents before the fatal attacks.
Victims have been identified as 24-year-old Saint Michael resident Summer Myomick and her 1-year-old son, Clyde Ongtowasruk. They were reportedly attacked in a village near a school.
At around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, state troopers received a report about the attack.
“Troopers and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game are working to travel to Wales as weather conditions allow,” said the public safety department Tuesday.
Per a Wednesday update, “weather conditions in the region and the lack of runway lights in Wales prevented Troopers and Alaska Department of Fish and Game personnel from making it to the area. However, troopers contine to make efforts to get to the small town. As of 2010, just 145 people lived in Wales.
“Next of kin has been notified,” as well U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, authorities said.
According to a 2017 journal article in the Wildlife Society Bulletin, reported polar bear attacks on people “have been extremely rare” with just 73 reported from 1870 through 2014. These were distributed through five polar bear ranges: Canada, Greenland, Norway, Russia, and the U.S.
Only 20 resulted in human fatalities.
“We found that nutritionally stressed adult male polar bears were the most likely to pose threats to human safety,” said researchers. “Attacks by adult females were rare, and most were attributed to defense of cubs.”
Polar bears are the largest carnivorous land mammals on the planet, according to the National Wildlife Federation. They can grow to be eight feet long and weigh more than 1,700 pounds.
Since they live and hunt on arctic sea ice, polar bears are especially impacted by climate change.
“Polar bears are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), and were listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 2008,” according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “The MMPA and ESA both prohibit the ‘take’ of polar bears without authorization, unless it is necessary for human safety. Take includes disturbance to polar bears, as well as injuring and killing polar bears.”
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