A teenage boy is thanking his lucky stars after he managed to fight off a brown bear that had entered his tent during a wilderness trek in Alaska.
According to the Seattle Times newspaper, the boy awoke to find the 400-pound beast sitting by his feet and, after unsuccessfully trying to edge his way out of the tent and being bitten on the forearm, decided to fight back.
He punched the bear several times despite being clawed on the ribs and being left with half a dozen puncture marks on his torso. He eventually managed to blast an air horn into the animals face; the bear finally retreated when others in the camp doused the animal with pepper spray and fired a flare at its feet.
The attack took place on Deer Island, in the south-east of Alaska. The teenager was flown to hospital for treatment, then sent home.
The Seattle Times reports that the bear may well have been attracted by a small amount of food that the boy took to his tent, but did not eat before he fell asleep for the night.
Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad
