Posted on 01/19/2023 4:42:24 AM PST by BenLurkin
WALES, Alaska (KTUU) - A polar bear attacked and killed two people in Wales, on the western tip of the Seward Peninsula, Tuesday afternoon
Troopers wrote in a dispatch that they received the report at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday involving a woman and a young boy.
Troopers identified the victims Wednesday morning as 24-year-old Summer Myomick, of St. Michael, and her 1-year-old son Clyde Ongtowasruk.
The attack occurred in the village near the school, troopers said. The two were walking between the clinic and the school when the attack occurred.
Susan Nedza is the Chief School Administrator for the Bering Strait School District which includes the K-12 school in Wales. Nedza said the school’s principal called her while the attack was ongoing just outside the school’s front entrance...The principal told her several school employees went outside to see if they could stop the attack.
“Some of them actually were outside at one point trying to hit the bear with shovels to get it to stop, and it wouldn’t,” said Nedza. “It chased them actually and tried to come into the school when the principal let them in to keep them safe. So it tried to come in and they were able to close the door and keep it outside.”
A short time later, Nedza said, a community member arrived and shot the bear.
(Excerpt) Read more at alaskasnewssource.com ...
As I understand it, Polar bears are the largest land predator and will track and kill humans for food. Understandable since the bears are trying to survive in a pretty bleak environment with food not that easy to come by.
But once a wild animal gets a taste for human, the only option is killing it.
The boars don't but I believe the pregnant sows do.
When I lived in Alaska, a local friend of mine told me that some Alaskans can get a permit to hunt Polar Bears. When I asked him how do you hunt Polar Bears, he told me that it was really easy because the Polar Bear is the only bear that actively hunts humans. All you have to do is show up in their territory and they will come to you. Yikes! I like varmint hunting but will pass on hunting something that could easily have me for dinner.
No, but apparently it has made them nasty. You know how it is when it’s too hot outside.
A cousin moved to Alaska years ago.. A grizzly chased her in the yard until she climbed on top of roof with ladder. Her husband arrived hours later and the bear was still there. It charged him and he shot it as it charged. (Sorry family legend did not include gun specs).
Authorities were called to report the bear kill. Turned out that this happened to be in the window of bear season. If the shooting was self defense, there would be no legal issues but the state would take the carcass. By paying the fine for “hunting without license, they could keep the meat.
All the neighbors chipped in and paid the penalty and had a huge BBQ.
I live in K.
On the polar ice there are just two living things.
Polar bears and
polar bear food.
Great story. I heard that bear meat wasn’t that bad.
That is a bunch of crap that your cousin had to pay a fine for killing a charging grizzly. I am sure that “Shoot, Shovel, and Shut up” certainly applies to Alaska.
Lol. Very true.
Lots of Black Bear around here, one just tore the wall off my chicken house and killed 7 of my chickens.
I have a backhoe and know how to keep my mouth shut!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.