A man was injured this week while fending off a polar bear attacking his wife in Fort Severn First Nation, Ontario. The man is recovering, and the bear died from shots by a neighbor.

The brawl happened after the couple left their residence at 5 a.m. Tuesday to find their dogs. A polar bear in the driveway proceeded to lunge at the wife, who slipped onto the ground. Her husband then leaped onto the bear to thwart it. He suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries to his arms and legs, the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service said on social media.

The man was taken to the community’s nursing station for treatment while the neighbor shot the bear several times. The animal retreated into the nearby woods and died of its injuries.

The police agency, which serves the Nishnawbe-Aski Nation representing 51 indigenous communities across northern Ontario, didn’t name the couple or their neighbor. NAPS also patrolled the area after the incident to ensure no more polar bears were around.

While polar bear sightings are common in the area, incidents like this aren’t.

“An attack is rare but not unheard of,” NAPS spokesman Scott Paradis told CTV News.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.