Enlarge image
Grizzly bear (icon image)
Photo: Kirsten Pisto / AP
In the wilderness of the US state of Alaska there are frequent encounters between humans and bears.
Attacks are rare, but sometimes result in very serious injuries or even deaths.
In the current case, however, a cyclist got away with minor injuries.
As the British Guardian reports, citing the local authorities, the man near Cantwell was riding his bike alone.
The place is about 270 kilometers north of the city of Anchorage.
Immediately before the attack, he had found bear tracks in the snow near a river bed, according to the report.
Shortly afterwards he saw the animal running towards him between ten and 15 meters away.
He jumped off the bike and threw himself screaming on his back, kicked himself and put his arms protectively over his head.
The animal bit him in the lower part of his left leg and immediately disappeared back into the undergrowth, the authorities report.
After the attack, the man walked to a nearby highway on his own and called a friend to be picked up.
The man was later treated for the bite wound in the hospital - but is expected to recover completely.
He himself had estimated the bear to be about 250 kilograms.
What kind it is, remained unclear for the time being.
The man himself was armed in the incident but never fired a shot.
Hidden in camp for over a week
The US state of Alaska is sparsely populated and best known for its untouched nature.
It is home to black, polar and brown bears, including the Kodiak bear, considered one of the largest in the world.
Bear sightings are not uncommon in Alaska, but attacks on humans are rare.
The last known case was in July of a man who claims to have been bitten in a remote camp in Alaska and followed by a bear for over a week.
With a lot of luck, a team of the coast guard spotted him from a helicopter, the authorities announced.
In this case, too, there was no danger to life.
jok
