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.
-
Caitlin Clark scores career-high 35, Kelsey Mitchell adds 30 as Fever beat Wings
Indiana (20-19), which was coming off back-to-back losses to the two-time defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces, clinched the No. 6 seed in the playoffs, which begin next Sunday.Richardson's inexperience shows as he throws 3 INTs in Colts' loss to Packers
Richardson went 17 of 34 for 204 yards with one touchdown pass to go along with the three INTs. He rushed for 37 yards on four carries.Pedestrian struck, critically injured by IMPD officer’s patrol car
IMPD says the pedestrian was crossing the street on Michigan Road when the officer turned out of a parking lot and struck him with his marked patrol car.Saraga International Grocery celebrates 30 years at westside location
The grocery store, known as the hub for global groceries in Indianapolis, says the celebration reflect the cultural richness Saraga has brought to the city.