Canadian officials and family members have confirmed that Hrishikesh Koloth, a 27-year-old mixed martial arts fighter, was killed by a black bear on May 8, 2026, while working at a uranium exploration site in northern Saskatchewan. Originally from Kerala, India, he had moved to Canada in 2023 to pursue a career in professional fighting.
The fatal attack occurred at the Zoo Bay property operated by Vancouver-based UraniumX Discovery Corp., located near Nordbye Lake approximately 850 kilometers (or roughly 528.2 miles) northeast of Saskatoon and about 50 miles northeast of Points North Landing. A civilian at the remote site shot and killed the bear before officers arrived, according to Saskatchewan’s provincial Ministry of Community Safety.
A Fighter’s Dream Cut Short
Koloth had trained in martial arts for over a decade — first in India and then in Canada. He was living in Penticton, British Columbia, with his older brother, Arjun Koloth, and trained at Skoden Martial Arts, a gym his brother described as a second family. He carried an undefeated three-0 amateur record in wrestling and submission grappling.
“That was his dream. That’s why he came here,” Arjun told CBC News in an interview published May 27, 2026. “He wanted to fight in the UFC.”
He was set to begin a new job as a boxing coach in Vancouver in June. Arjun said his brother viewed work as just a means to an end, and the end was to fight.
Arjun described his younger brother as humble, fearless and fiercely devoted to family — a son who spoiled his parents and wanted to give them everything. He recalled a fighter who never flinched at unfavorable matchups or short notice. Two days to prepare? Fine. A heavier opponent? Didn’t matter. Win or lose, he wanted in.
A 4 a.m. Knock at the Door
Arjun learned what had happened in the worst possible way. At 4 a.m. PDT, an officer with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrived at his Penticton home.
Hrishikesh had been working as a technician at the isolated site when the bear attacked. Details about the sequence of events at the camp have not been publicly released. The provincial ministry confirmed only that the bear “was euthanized by a civilian on scene prior to officers arriving.”
The animal was transported to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon for a necropsy. UraniumX temporarily shut down its field operations in the area as authorities investigated.
Arjun is now in Kerala for his brother’s funeral and to be with the rest of his family. He wants the world to remember Hrishikesh on his own terms.
“I want him to be remembered for what he does. Innocent heart, fighter’s soul. Warrior,” he said. “And I’d just like to say he fought [the] bear. That’s all … bear didn’t attack him. He attacked the bear.”
A Rare but Devastating Encounter
The remote region of central Saskatchewan where Koloth died is home to both black bears and grizzly bears, but fatal encounters with humans are uncommon. This marks only the fourth fatal bear attack in Saskatchewan’s recorded history. The last occurred in 2020, when Stephanie Blais, 44, was killed near her family’s cabin north of Buffalo Narrows.
The Saskatchewan government issued a reminder about bear safety on the day of Koloth’s death, warning that campsites and homes near forested areas can quickly become hunting grounds for bears searching for food.
“Black bears are intelligent and ruled by their stomachs,” the agency said. “Limiting attractants is the most effective way to reduce these interactions.”
Company Response and Investigation
UraniumX, which operates the Zoo Bay property, said it had paused field activities at the site as the investigation continued. The company praised the response from workers and emergency personnel who reached the scene.
“The safety and well-being of our employees, contractors, and all personnel working on our projects is, and will always remain, our highest priority,” the company said in a statement. “We commend the rapid response of our on-site team, service providers, and emergency responders who attended the scene.”
For Arjun, the corporate condolences and statistical rarity of the attack offer little. What lingers is a younger brother who crossed an ocean to chase a fight career, who treated every opponent the same regardless of weight or notice, and whose ambitions were just beginning to take shape when a remote stretch of Saskatchewan bush ended them.
“Everybody had high hopes on him,” Arjun said. “It shouldn’t have been like this.”
