Dez Loreen
Northern News Services

Paulatuk (Sep 12/05) - Paulatuk dog owners are shaken up over a grizzly bear that has been attacking their teams. The bear was first spotted late Monday, outside a home at the edge of the community.

"I knew something was wrong when I heard one of my dogs yelping loudly," said Ann Thrasher.

"We went outside, in the dark, and pointed our flashlights in the direction of the dog houses. It scared the bear away, he stayed away from the light."

Thrasher knew not to confront the bear and "waited until the dogs stopped barking, to see what the bear had done."

When the carcass of the sled dog was found, it had a large chunk of it's ribs missing.

"It was totally mangled, and there was a piece of the dog's midsection missing. It took a huge bite right out of it. What a shame," said Thrasher.

Later that evening, the bear wandered by another residence, this time killing two young pups.

"Those pups were too young to defend themselves, so it looked like a very fast attack," reported Ray Ruben, Hunters and Trappers Association representative.

The next night, the bear was spotted just outside the water supply, a kilometre from town.

"People were ready to go out and attempt to scare the grizzly away with four-wheelers," said Thrasher.

"It was a big bear, about eight feet long."

Bears are common in the Paulatuk area at this time of year, but most just wander through town, and go on about their business.

"This bear is suspected to return, and if it does, it will keep coming back," said Jonah Nakimayak, a retired renewable resources officer. "If that's the case, it will have to be destroyed."

There is a demand for bear monitors in the area, says Ruben. "Last year, we hired a bear monitor from out of town to patrol the community at night. He was armed with bear spray."

When the bear monitor spotted a grizzly, it was eventually destroyed by members of the community.

"The big thing is that we've never seen a bear attack dogs at this level," said Ruben, but proving that this bear is the same grizzly could be a problem. "A paintball gun would be nice. That way we could mark it." said Ruben.

If the bear keeps making appearances in Paulatuk, it will either be escorted out of the area, or be destroyed.