"Wolf!" Lydia Angiyou's five-year-old nephew Paulussie whispered with alarm as he touched her arm. At first, she didn't believe him.  Angiyou, Paulussie, her other nephew Lucassie, also five, and her youngest son Jessie, seven, were walking to her mother's house -- only two doors down from her own -- one night last February. Animals were often sighted near Ivujivik -- a village on the shore of Hudson Bay in north-eastern Canada -- but rarely on its streets. The 41-year-old teacher and mother of five turned around. Looking behind her into the darkness, at first she thought that Jessie was the wolf. But a metre behind the boy was a 350kg polar bear -- no wolf in sight -- standing on the icy road. Jessie turned and saw it, too, then ran, screaming, to his mother. Angiyou felt a rush of blood to her brain. "Get as far away as you can!" she shouted to the boys as she ran towards the bear. She stopped just in front of it, then faced it quietly. It made a move to go around her to get to the boys, who must have seemed like the easier meal. But Angiyou moved with the bear to maintain her position blocking the children. Finally she got the animal's attention. In response, it rose on its hind legs, stretching to its full 2.5m height. The bear charged, paws thundering down and knocking her into a seated position. The skin under her nose tore. Falling onto her back, she screamed for help and kicked at the animal in a bicycling motion. She soon passed out. Sirqualuk Ainalik, a fellow teacher, had been at his brother's house nearby when Jessie dashed inside for help. Grabbing a rifle , the 33-year-old ran to the road, firing a warning shot into the air. He then aimed his gun at the huge bear. At this time Angiyou came to and heard the gunshot in the distance, then watched as the animal turned its attention away from her and towards the loud sound. With two more shots, Ainalik killed the polar bear. Lydia Angiyou and   _   children experienced the adventure.
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