Excitement turned to disaster this weekend at a UAF Nanook hockey game when a live polar bear was substituted for the bear-suited mascots. At least five people were killed and dozens more injured, both by the bear and a stampede that followed the attacks.

About five minutes before the game was scheduled to start, after the players of both teams had just come back out to the ice, Grumpy, a 1200 pound polar bear loaned from the Anchorage Zoo, broke out of his enclosure near the Zamboni. Grumpy was apparently attracted to the smells coming from one of the concession stands, as he ambled up through the stands to the second level of the Carlson Center.

One of the concessionaires had presumably lost her glasses, and mistook the polar bear climbing over the counter for one of the Nanooks' ordinary mascots. She yelled at the bear several times, before throwing a cup of ice water in his face. The enraged bear swatted her in the head, killing the unfortunate woman.

After eating his fill of nacho cheese and hot dogs, Grumpy went back to his enclosure, where he presumably felt more at home. His presence in the crowd caused a panicked retreat by those in the stands. Three people were killed in the chaos.

After he passed out of the stands, the bear's path towards his enclosure was blocked by a platoon of Carlson Center ushers, who were determined to force the bear onto the ice, where it was thought he could be contained. The plan was to form ranks on either side of the Zamboni to contain the bear, and force him backwards with the Zamboni.

Unfortunately, as they say in warfare, 'No plan survives contact with the enemy.' The bear did not appreciate being poked with the mops and brooms of the ushers, and reacted violently, mauling three of the eighteen ushers severely. The Zamboni driver was able to prevent a rout by pressing forward, and pushing the bear onto the ice.

Once the bear was on the ice, the players of both teams immediately started to flee the ice, making for their locker rooms. Nathan Fornataro, however, decided to face down the bear.

"After I saw all the other Nanooks running like little girls, I decided to step up and challenge it." Fornataro said. He advanced on the bear, skating back and forth, waving his stick. It is unclear what he expected to accomplish, but unless it was to get himself badly injured, he failed. As Fornataro moved forward, he was able to dodge several attacks by the bear, finally, "getting nailed by a swift paw to the head." This knocked him unconscious on the ice.

By this time, the first of several emergency services had responded to the situation. In addition to medics from the City and University Fire Departments, there were police officers from four forces: the Fairbanks City Police, the State Troopers, the University Police, and the National Park Service. Some of the officers wanted to simply shoot the bear, but wisdom prevailed, and it was decided to wait until Fish and Game officers could arrive with tranquilizers.

The ADF&G officers arrived only a few minutes later, and one of them climbed up to the upper deck to get a clear shot with a tranquilizer rifle. His first shot missed, striking the ice just behind the bear. The second shot hit the bear, and everyone waited for the chemicals to take effect. After the prescribed time period, there had been no effect, with the bear still ambling around the ice, looking for a way out.

Another shot was fired, again hitting the bear. After again waiting the necessary length of time, the bear was still moving around. This time, the ADF&G officer, acting out of frustration, fired six shots in quick succession. The bear to drop into unconsciousness in about forty seconds.

"His back looked like a pincushion with all those darts sticking out of him," said the officer who shot him. "I didn't mean to shoot him so much, I just got carried away." Apparently the nacho cheese that the bear had consumed had rendered him resistant to the effects of the tranquilizers.

The Nanooks' next home games will be next October, hopefully with fake bears.

Photo illustration buy Robinson Duffy / Sun Star
After his bbloody rampage, Grumpy lays stunned on the ice of the Carlson Center, multiple tranquilizer dart sticking in him. The polar bear killed one and caused a stampede that claimed even more lives.

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