Man severely injured protecting wife from early morning polar bear ambush

A man has sustained serious injuries after leaping to the rescue of his wife who was ambushed by a polar bear in an early morning attack, police said.

Members of the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service working out of the Fort Severn First Nation detachment in Ontario, Canada, were dispatched to a residential address in the early morning hours of Tuesday to reports of gunfire, according to a statement from the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service.

When authorities arrived, they discovered during their investigation that an adult male and adult female "had exited their home before 5 a.m. to find their dogs. While in the driveway of their home, a polar bear lunged at the woman," police said.

"The woman slipped to ground as her husband leapt onto the animal to prevent its attack. The bear then attacked the male, causing serious but non-life-threatening injuries to his arm and legs," Nishnawbe Aski Police Service continued.

During the attack, a neighbor reportedly arrived with a firearm and was able to shoot the bear several times before it retreated to a nearby wooded area and subsequently died from its injuries.

When police arrived on scene, they located the deceased polar bear and learned "an adult male had been transported to the community nursing station to have his injuries assessed and treated," police said.

Officials continued to patrol the area to ensure no other bears were roaming the community following the attack.

The unnamed man is now recovering from serious injuries to his arm and legs, but is expected to survive.