A bear kills a worker at a Canadian uranium mining company, forcing a shutdown

Toronto – A 27-year-old man died in a black bear attack over the weekend in northern Saskatchewan, according to local authorities and his employer.

The attack took place 53 kilometers northeast of Points North Landing in central Saskatchewan, the province’s Department of Public Safety confirmed in a statement sent to CBS News.

The department said the Wildlife Human Attack Response Team was investigating the incident, adding: “Our thoughts are with his family, friends and loved ones at this difficult time.”

The deceased was an independent contractor working at the Vancouver-based UraniumX Discovery Corp facility. He met the bear over the weekend at a uranium exploration site, the company said in a statement on its website.

“We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to the family, friends, and colleagues of the deceased. The safety and well-being of our employees, contractors, and all employees working on our projects is, and will always be, our top priority,” UraniumX CEO Esen Boldkhuu said in a statement.

As a precaution, all operations at the company’s Zoo Bay facility have been temporarily suspended since the incident, while the investigation is ongoing.

CBS News’ Canadian partner CBC News, citing the deceased’s brother, reported that he came to Canada from India three years ago.

“The black bear involved in this incident was shot by a bystander before the police arrived,” said the state’s Department of Public Safety in a statement sent to CBS News. The animal was then taken to the regional veterinary college for necropsy.

On the same day as the bear attack, the Saskatchewan government issued a reminder to residents to be aware of hungry bears looking for snacks near homes and campsites.

“Black bears are smart and controlled by their guts. Reducing lures is the most effective way to reduce this interaction,” the authorities warned.

Deadly bear attacks in Saskatchewan are rare, Douglas Clark, a professor at the University of Saskatchewan’s School of Environment and Sustainability, who specializes in dealing with bears, told Canadian broadcaster CBC.

“The last one was six years ago,” Clark told the CBC, “and you have to go a few years before you get the next one on the record.”

Last week, authorities said a the loss of the traveler’s death in Montana’s Glacier National Park was probably caused by a bear attack.

As humans expand deeper into natural bear habitats around the world, encounters are becoming more common in other areas. A Japanese company that makes ferocious-looking robot wolves has become full of commands after a record number for a deadly bear attack last year.