A man suffered severe injuries early Tuesday after being attacked by a polar bear in Canada, according to police.

"The man who leapt onto a polar bear to protect his wife from being mauled is recovering from serious injuries to his arm and legs but is expected to recover," said a statement posted to social media by the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service.

The incident occurred in Fort Severn First Nation. The small, far-North Ontario community is near the Hudson Bay. 

The couple was out at 5 a.m. searching for their dogs when they encountered a bear in their driveway. The bear then lunged at the woman, according to the statement.

"The woman slipped to ground as her husband leapt onto the animal to prevent its attack. The bear then attacked the male, causing serious but non-life-threatening injuries to his arm and legs," police said.

During the attack, a neighbor with a gun arrived at the scene to rescue the couple, and shot the bear multiple times.

Wounded and staggering, the bear made its way to a nearby wooded area. Police later confirmed that the bear succumbed to its injuries.

Police said officers maintained their patrols in the area to ensure there were no additional bears in the neighborhood.

Alysa McCall, director of conservation outreach and a staff scientist at Polar Bear International, told CBS News partner CBC that polar bears rarely attack humans. When an attack occurs, the bear is often hungry, young and unwell.

"A healthy polar bear that's out on the sea ice is not going to have a lot of incentive to attack a human being," said McCall to CBC News.

McCall told the CBC that climate change leads to temperature fluctuations in the ocean, which subsequently affects how far bears can venture inland throughout the year.

"If you're attacked by a polar bear, definitely do not play dead — that is a myth," she told the CBC. "Fight as long as you can."