Close call … This man climbed into a bear enclosure and punched the animal in the face. Picture: CEN/AustralscopeSource: australscope
A MAN who climbed into a bear enclosure was lucky to escape with his life.
The man was captured on camera by a passer-by who spotted him climbing over a protective fence and heading towards a female bear sitting on a rock at the zoo in the Polish capital, Warsaw.
When he reached it, the bear went for him, grabbing him by the arm, but let go when he punched the animal in the head.
The bear enclosure runs alongside a busy street where stunned onlookers watched in horror expecting to see a tragedy.
The passer-by who took the photos then posted them online.
He said he thought the man was with a mate and he suspected he was either drunk or on drugs from the way he’d been behaving.
Ouch! … The bear bit the mans arm when he got too close. He then punched it. Picture: CEN/Australscope Source:australscope
Head of predatory animals at the zoo, Maria Krakowiak, said: “We do not know how the man escaped but she grabbed his arm. It then looks like he tried to hit her.
“The enclosure is heavily ringed off and no one in their right mind would try and get in there. What his thinking was, we have no idea.
“He survived but we don’t know where he went.”
Police are now searching for him.
The zoo currently has three bears which they received from a circus a few years ago.
“Sabina is the bear this man approached and he’s lucky because she is generally friendly,” Karakowiak said.
“Perhaps that’s why he survived because she is more familiar with people.
“If it had been one of the others the story would probably be different.”
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