Kim Barraclough
Northern News Services

NNSL (July 26/99) - Three-headed woman gives birth to penguin, one-legged kangaroo survives 20-storey drop, a voodoo priest saves 15 tourists from an attacking grizzly bear...

Sounds like the tabloids. The first two examples might be a bit of a stretch, but according to a tabloid newspaper published in Florida, the last one actually happened...in Inuvik.

That's right -- Inuvik.

According to the July 13 article, a voodoo priest allegedly saved the tourists by shoving a woman's sewing needle into a child's teddy bear and causing the bear to "keel over."

Although the story appears to be backed up with quotes from a tourist and from wildlife officials in the area, according to the folks in Inuvik they haven't heard anything about the incident.

"I'm not aware of any bear attacks or voodoo priests," said Cpl. Brian Pinder with the RCMP in Inuvik.

As for the paper printing false information about the North, Pinder had a fairly laissez-faire attitude.

"It's a free country, right? If you don't like it, don't buy it," said Pinder.

Andrea Hansen, who works for Arctic Nature Tours in Inuvik, had heard nothing about the alleged incident either.

"I'll keep my ears open," she said.

When asked whether or not she thinks the misreport is a problem, "It depends how seriously people take the (tabloids)," she said.

Inuvik resident Mike Muller said he hadn't heard about the incident.

"I must have been put under the spell of the voodoo priest because I don't remember that. But I'll never look at my teddy bear the same way again," added Muller.

Adam Ferguson, in Pond Inlet, thought the story was pretty funny.

"It's obviously crap, it's impossible," said Ferguson.

"Some people might find it interesting, mostly for a joke."

When asked why Ferguson thought the tabloids were picking on the North he replied, "Why not?"

The tabloid from which the story came was not available for comment about the story. According to a recorded message, the paper does not answer questions in person. Questions must be faxed or written. News/North faxed a letter to the paper, but no reply was received.