Polar Bear Kills Woman and Young Boy in Remote Alaskan Village

A polar bear mauled and killed a woman and a boy in a remote western Alaskan village, state troopers said on Tuesday.

While polar bear attacks are rare in Alaska, scientists in the northwestern US state have warned that chances of a polar bear encounter have risen as the bears’ sea ice habitat is melting.

What Happened?

The incident took place in Wales — located on the western tip of the Seward Peninsula — at 2:30 p.m. local time (2330 UTC), local broadcaster KTUU reported.

“Initial reports indicate that a polar bear had entered the community and had chased multiple residents,” state troopers wrote in a dispatch on Tuesday.

“The bear fatally attacked an adult female and juvenile male — it was shot and killed by a local resident as it attacked the pair,” the troopers said.

The names of the two people killed have not been released and the troopers are working to inform family members, the dispatch said.