Prowling polar bear more than 100 km from coast 'kind of scary' for Shamattawa community members

A polar bear is running loose in and around a northern Manitoba First Nation, the chief says, a fairly rare sight for the remote community more than 100 kilometres from Hudson Bay.

Shamattawa First Nation Chief Jordna Hill says it was first spotted about four days ago and it hasn't yet been caught by conservation officers.

"It's kind of scary for us, the community members and everybody else," he said.

It's been several years since a polar bear was last seen in the community, Hill said. CBC News last reported on a sighting in 2010.

Conservation officers told Hill they will return on Tuesday to search again so they can relocate the bear further from civilization.

CBC News has requested more information from Manitoba Conservation, but didn't immediately receive a response.

Doug Clark, an associate professor at the University of Saskatchewan's school of environment and sustainability, said it's not unheard of to see a polar bear stray that far away from Hudson Bay.

"It's only 130 kilometres from the coast and for a polar bear, that's not a particularly big distance. Polar bears have been observed in that part of the province before," he said.

One of Clark's areas of research is polar bear and human conflicts.

"The bear ... is doing what polar bears do when they come to communities. They're responding to attractants that they've smelled and they're looking for things to eat."

What is unusual is the bear going right into the community, he said.

Clark doesn't believe the bear travelled south because it was starving — the animal appears to be in good health in images taken of it.

Anyone who encounters a wild polar bear should find a safe place like a car or building, and call the Polar Bear Alert line at 204-675-2327.