A man in Canada's far north leapt onto a polar bear to protect his wife from being mauled, police say.

The unnamed man suffered serious injuries but is expected to recover, according to the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service.

The couple left their house at around 05:00 local time (11:00 GMT) on Tuesday to find their dogs, when a bear - in their home's driveway - lunged at the woman.

The incident happened in Fort Severn First Nation, a small community of about 400 people in the far north of Ontario.

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

A neighbour arrived with a gun and shot the bear several times. It retreated into nearby woods where it died of its injuries.

The man was transported to a community nursing station where he was treated for his injuries.

Nishnawbe Aski police said they "continued to patrol the area to ensure no other bears were roaming the community".

Alysa McCall, a scientist at Polar Bear International, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) that polar bears rarely attack humans.

When an attack occurs, the bear is often hungry, young and unwell, she said.

Normally the bears are far from human settlements, instead preferring to spend their time at sea hunting ice seals. But climate change has led to temperature fluctuations, breaking up ice and in some cases driving bears inland to look for food.

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