Polar bear shot after man ‘leapt on’ animal that attacked wife 

Well-fed polar bears in good condition are rarely a problem for humans, but a bear stranded on land in poor condition is a 'recipe for conflict'. File picture: Getty Images

A man who “leapt on” a polar bear to protect his wife in a northern First Nations community in Canada is expected to fully recover from the severe injuries he sustained in the attack.

But experts caution that changing environmental conditions will lead to a shift in where and when polar bears are spotted, increasing the risk of surprise encounters.