Bicyclist kicks attacking 500-pound brown bear as it mauls him, Alaska cops say

A bicyclist spotted a brown bear on an Alaska trail. Then it started running toward him, officials said.

The biker was about 30 feet from the brown bear Tuesday when it started to charge, Alaska Wildlife Troopers in Cantwell said.

The man got off his bicycle and started shouting at the bear. He then fell to the ground and covered his head, officials said.

The bicyclist started to kick at the bear, but the brown bear mauled him.

“The bear made contact and bit the victim’s lower right leg, just below his knee,” Alaska State Troopers said in a news release. “The bear made one contact and one bite then immediately retreated into the vegetation the same way it approached.”

The man was carrying a gun but didn’t use it, troopers said.

The biker walked to the highway and called a friend to come pick him up, officials said. He went to a medical clinic and was treated for “puncture wounds and a laceration.”

The man estimated that the bear weighed about 500 pounds.

“The victim stated he did not notice anything out of the ordinary prior to the mauling but did say he noticed bear tracks in the snow,” troopers said. “He believes the bear was alone.”

This story was originally published October 24, 2021 at 10:25 AM with the headline "Bicyclist kicks attacking 500-pound brown bear as it mauls him, Alaska cops say."