WALES, Alaska (AP) — A polar bear has attacked and killed two people in a remote village in western Alaska, according to state troopers.
Alaska State Troopers said they received the report of the attack at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in Wales, on the western tip of the Seward Peninsula, KTUU reported.
“Initial reports indicate that a polar bear had entered the community and had chased multiple residents,” troopers wrote. “The bear fatally attacked an adult female and juvenile male."
The bear was shot and killed by a local resident as it attacked the pair, troopers said.
The names of the the two people killed were not released. Troopers said they were working to notify family members.
Troopers and the state Department of Fish and Game are planning to travel to Wales once weather allows for it, the dispatch said.
Wales is a small, predominantly Inupiaq town of about 150 people, just over 100 miles (161 kilometers) northwest of Nome.
Fatal polar bear attacks have been rare in Alaska's recent history. In 1990, a polar bear killed a man farther north of Wales in the village of Point Lay. Biologists later said the animal showed signs of starvation, the Anchorage Daily News reported.
Alaska scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey in 2019 found changes in sea ice habitat had coincided with evidence that polar bears’ use of land was increasing and that the chances of a polar bear encounter had increased.
-
Mitchell has 28, Clark 19 as Fever disappoint record dream crowd with 84-79 win
Kelsey Mitchell scored 29 points, including the clinching free throws with 5 seconds left, Caitlin Clark added 19 points and the Indiana Fever disappointed a record Atlanta crowd.Steele trying to make the cut in Kansas City
Kansas City was the team to take a chance on Steele, and his impressive performance during training camp has many insiders tabbing Steele to make the team's 53-man roster for the upcoming season.Oasis reunites for tour and ends hiatus during Gallagher brothers' feud
Britpop band Oasis will reunite for the first time in 15 years as the Gallagher brothers intend to perform 14 concerts in 2025.'It's never too late': Pursue a nursing career later in life
There is a large need for nurses in Indiana right now. The ongoing shortage is nationwide, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the need will grow in the next ten years.