IGLOOLIK, Nunavut – An Inuit hunter saved the life of at least one of his friends when he fended off an attacking polar bear with a hammer.
David Arnatsiaq says he was just outside the Nunavut hamlet of Igloolik to retrieve some walrus meat when a female polar bear and two nearly adult cubs showed up.
The female moved toward one of Arnatsiaq’s friends, who had bullets from the group’s rifle in his pockets.
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Arnatsiaq knew they’d need those bullets, so he put himself in the bear’s path armed with the only weapon he could find – a hammer from his snowmobile’s glove box.
He shoved the hammer in the bear’s mouth, grabbed its ears and the two wrestled for a few seconds until he slipped and lost his footing.
Eventually, his companions loaded their rifle and shot all three bears.
The bear had gone after Arnatsiaq’s face as the 58-year-old hunter whaled away at the animal with the hammer.
Arnatsiaq, who once fought off another bear with only a camera, says he has five stitches on his face but feels fine.
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