Polar bear attacks Canadian man who escapes using cell phone

In a quintessentially Canadian tale, a man walking home late Saturday night was approached by a hungry polar bear who demanded his wallet.

Well, not quite but the bear did chase the man down the main street of Churchill, Manitoba – the polar bear 'capital' – and maul him in front of a bakery.

Garett Kolsun, 40, a border agent for Canada Customs, fought back against the 300-pound beast.

The bear bit and scratched him all over, including a bite to the thigh.

“The bear’s nose was inches away from me. I didn’t know where else to go. I was just (thinking), ‘what can I do to get away from this bear?’ That’s all I kept thinking about. I didn’t want to be a stat," Kolsun said according to the National Post.

To scare off the bear, Kolsun pulled out his cell phone and the bear appeared confused by this apparent ruse.

With the bear distracted, Kolsun made a run for it.

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Local residents were a bit tongue in cheek about the event.

"I heard he was bit in the ass," said one resident, according to the Winnipeg Free Press.

Kolsun took a taxi to the local health centre where he likely received free healthcare to treat his wounds.

The last resident of the approximately 1000 population town to be killed by a polar bear was in the 1980s, according to the mayor.

Polar bears can run up to 25 mph and can weigh up to 1,000 pounds.