Hrishikesh Koloth, a 27-year-old mixed martial arts fighter from Kerala, India, was killed on May 8, 2026, when a black bear attacked him at a uranium exploration site in remote northern Saskatchewan, Canadian officials and his family confirmed.
The fighter had moved to Canada in 2023 with aspirations of reaching the UFC, training at Skoden Martial Arts in Penticton, British Columbia, while taking contract work to support himself financially. He was living with his older brother, Arjun Koloth, and had lined up a position as a boxing coach in Vancouver scheduled to begin in June.
“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.”
The Attack at Zoo Bay
Koloth was working as a technician at the Zoo Bay property, operated by Vancouver-based UraniumX Discovery Corp., when the attack occurred near Nordbye Lake — roughly 850 kilometers (or roughly 528.2 miles) northeast of Saskatoon and about 50 miles northeast of Points North Landing. A civilian on site shot and killed the bear before officers arrived, according to Saskatchewan’s provincial Ministry of Community Safety.
UraniumX temporarily shut down its field operations in the area as authorities investigated. The animal was transported to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon for a necropsy.
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.”
A Brother’s Grief
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.
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.”
Arjun is now in Kerala for his brother’s funeral and to be with the rest of his family. He 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.
Arjun said his brother viewed work as just a means to an end, and the end was to fight. The mining contract paid the bills. The cage was the goal.
“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.”
Uncommon but Deadly
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.”
A Dream Deferred Forever
Hrishikesh had trained in martial arts for over a decade — first in India and then in Canada after moving to the country in 2023. He carried an undefeated three-zero amateur record in wrestling and submission grappling. For Arjun, his brother lived for the fight — the day job was scaffolding around the real ambition.
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.”
