A man saved himself from a bear attack by biting off the animal's tongue.
Nikolay Irgit, 35, from Russia, has been hailed as a hero after he somehow managed to keep his cool during the attack.
The school caretaker was in a remote forest in the Siberian mountains collecting deer and elk antlers to sell, when the bear pounced 'from nowhere' and began its attack.
Nikolay says he was certain he was going to die and be 'eaten for dinner' by the half-a-ton brown bear.
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Speaking after being released from the hospital, Nikolay said: "I was very scared.
"I thought that it was the end.
"At some point in the struggle, I stopped caring if I lived or died.
"And it's not good to think like this because I love my children so much.
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"First the bear bit me on my arm and then on the head.
"Newspapers have reported it wrongly - the bear didn't claw me, he was biting me, wanting to eat me."
However, Nikolay, who has three children all under the age of seven, said he found the courage and strength to fight back.
"The bear bit me on my face, my head, so I replied," he said.
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"I didn't feel anything, no smells, nothing at all.
"The bear just roared and charged at me... He was gnawing me.
"He bit my head and face. I opened my eyes and saw his huge jaws....
"Instinctively I clenched my teeth."
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At this point, the bear suddenly turned and ran off - roaring loudly as it did so. In the struggle, Nikolay still wasn't sure what happened.
"I felt terrible pain," he added.
"At first I thought those were my lips in my mouth.
"Then I spat out - and realised it was a tongue. I thought at first it was my tongue.
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"Shaking, I started saying something to check my voice, and it seemed okay.
"And then I realised that it was the bear's tongue.
"I had bitten off the bear's tongue and it was in my mouth.
"I noticed straight away that the tongue was white.
"He left me and fled into the forest.
'He was roaring as he ran, I was really scared."
Despite his absolutely nails encounter with the bear, and the media attention that has followed, Nikolay is pretty chilled about the whole thing.
He said: "Honestly, I don't care about the fame. I got out of hospital and I am very glad.
"I haven't seen my family for a month, my salary is late. I want to see my family and children, but I can't leave for home yet because I have more treatment."
Adding: "I have horrific scars. They did a skin transplant.
"Skin from my arm was put on my forehead.
"Now I am ashamed of going in the street, all covered with scars. I am ashamed that everyone is looking at me.
"My left eye is not working properly.
"Everyone believes that I am a hero. But I am no hero, I was just trying to survive."
Nikolay also revealed that while his wife Aida, 25, was initially horrified by the incident, she then became 'angry' with her husband for putting himself in danger by collecting antlers in the first place.
Featured Image Credit: East2WestTopics: World News