Bear attacks on people, from grizzlies in Montana to pandas in Beijing, have left serious injuries and shocking stories. Victims suffered mutilations, fractures and tissue loss, with many incidents taking place in the wild, zoos or circuses, some in front of children.
Bear attacks on people are rare, but extremely violent, experts say PHOTO Archive
Bear attacks on humans are rare but extremely violent, with the predators having up to 42 teeth that help them tear flesh, according to the Daily Mail.
Kung fu with bears
In 2022, a climber had to use his martial arts skills to fend off an angry bear atop a mountain in Japan.
In a dramatic video, the climber can be heard screaming as the black bear repeatedly attacks him on a cliff on Mount Futago.
Fearing for his life, the man fought back by punching and kicking the animal until it retreated. It is believed that the bear, a female, was defending her cub and the climber had invaded her territory.
Woman attacked by polar bear
In 2011, in the village of Yanranay Chan in northern Russia, a woman named Ludmila was attacked by a polar bear.
In the footage of the incident, Ludmila can be seen standing up as the bear suddenly pounces on her. The locals tried to scare the animal, and an object thrown by a witness sent the bear running.
Ludmila escaped relatively unharmed and was treated for minor injuries. Later, the bear was killed.
Attack at the circus
In July 2021, a brown bear performing at a circus in Berezovsky, Russia, attacked a trainer in front of children and their families.
The bear, dressed in a pink hat and scarf, grabbed the trainer’s ankle and pulled her to the ground. Despite the attack, the woman did not seek medical attention.
The circus denied the incident, claiming the bear was just “playing”.
Thrown in a zoo enclosure
In November 2009, a 25-year-old man jumped into the bear enclosure at Switzerland’s Bern Bear Park, a £20m attraction.
Inside the pen, a brown bear of about 250 kg quickly attacked, grabbing the man and dragging him like a rag doll.
Raised on its hind legs, the imposing predator sank its jaws into the man’s shoulders, the victim completely helpless against the animal’s strength.
However, the man miraculously survived the attack, suffering only non-life-threatening injuries.
Hanging from the bear’s jaws
In September 2024, a 20-year-old archery hunter was attacked by a 240kg grizzly bear but miraculously survived the brutal attack after he and a friend fired 24 bullets to bring down the animal .
Riley Hill, 20, was hunting elk in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest west of Henrys Lake in Island Park, Idaho, when the bear suddenly appeared, charging on all fours.
Hill managed to fire three shots into the bear’s face and shoulder before it sank its teeth into his arm, piercing the skin and bone as it jerked violently.
Braxton Meyers, who was hunting with Hill, fired several shots at the grizzly bear as it charged his friend from side to side.
The two fired 24 bullets before they were able to bring down the bear.
