Jillian Dickens
Northern News Services

Clyde River (Sep 12/05) - Maurice Palituq was forced to shoot the bony polar bear that came dangerously close to his house in Clyde River on Sept. 2.

Palituq, 19, was inside when he received a call that a polar bear was across the street - 20 feet away - and another bear was not far behind.

"There was no time to call officers," said Palituq through translator Peter Iqalukjuak.

Judging by the emaciated state of the animal, Palituq knew it was desperate for food.

"They were very, very skinny," said Iqalukjuak. "Even the bones were showing."

Palituq says he sees polar bears near his house often because he's on the edge of town. However, these bears were the closest and skinniest he's seen yet.

So Palituq grabbed a rifle, ran outside and fired shots into the air to try to scare the animal. But the bear ran towards him, forcing Palituq to shoot it.

Even as the bear was being shot it was charging.

"I was scared," Palituq said. After two shots, the bear fell.

The other bear was far enough away from houses and people for wildlife officer Teema Palluq to arrive on the scene and kill it.

Palluq was away and couldn't be reached for comment.

The community gathered to catch a glimpse of the two bears after they were shot. The bear Palituq shot was then skinned, revealing its shockingly skeletal body.

This incident points to a crises in polar bear populations, said Iqaluit-based wildlife officer Seeglook Akeeagok.

"If we start seeing numerous bears like that then we might say that something is wrong," he said. Akeeagok is not aware of other bears sighted this summer in the same shape as those in Clyde River.

"Bears are just like human beings. Some are skinny, others are not so skinny," he said.