A bear-hunting party almost became a tragedy in Sweden on Monday after a surprise attack were it not for the courage of a teenager, who retaliated by punching the animal in the face to allow his father to escape from its clutches.
“It’s really unusual for something like this to happen – but something was wrong here,” Swedish hunter Jonny Sjoblom, who runs a local cull and knows the father-son duo well, told TT Agency on Tuesday, according to The Independent .
In a bid to control the large bear population, Swedish authorities have reportedly allowed hunters to kill up to 649 bears on their territory this year – the largest order in decades, British media said.
On Monday, an unnamed father and his son were tracking a female weighing around 150 kilograms in Ljusdal, Sweden, when the animal suddenly decided to attack the man, in his 40s, who the hunter said had lacerated his face suffered.
At that point, his son is said to have counterattacked by slapping the beast in the face, diverting the bear’s attention long enough for the 40-year-old to free himself and pull on it. The bear still managed to bite the teenager’s wrist, breaking him.
The duo had to be flown to a hospital with serious injuries, but they would not endanger their lives, The Independent said.
“He’s a tough guy, he’s mentally strong and he’ll handle it well.” I think more about his son’s welfare,” continued Jonny Sjoblom, who the Forties had asked to look after his hunting trophy.