Experts say polar bears are not native to Iceland but occasionally come ashore after traveling on ice floes from Greenland.

A rare polar bear that was spotted outside a cottage in a remote village in Iceland was shot by police after being considered a threat, authorities said. The bear was killed on Thursday afternoon in the north-west of Iceland after police consulted the Environment Agency,

The man hiked over a mile to Granite Park Chalet with assistance and was flown by a "Two Bear Air" rescue helicopter to a spot where he could be taken by ambulance to a hospital in Whitefish. The trail from Haystack Butte to the Granite Park Chalet will remain closed until further notice, officials said.

The National Park Service said it does not know what species the bear belongs to yet, but there are black and grizzly bears in Glacier National Park.

Rangers and other hikers helped the man walk more than a mile in a mountainous area so that he could be taken to a hospital, the National Park Service said.