In what might just be the most badass piece of news since this guy got bitten by a trio of toothy animals in less than four years, a fearless man singlehandedly took on a bear (and won) to protect his beloved pet dog.
According to a report from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the unidentified man nipped outside from his home in early May only to find a black bear charging towards his beagle.
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The bear swiped its claws at the frightened dog, but as the man struggled to rush back inside with his pet, the lead became tangled on some objects by his front door.
"When his beagle barked at the bear it circled around and swatted at the dog as the owner frantically tried to pull him in," the DNR report reads, "only to have the lead get tangled."
That's when the dog owner went into full beast mode and squared up to the bear, kicking it and forcing it to retreat for long enough to begin untangling the lead.
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However, before he could finish, the bear came back, this time biting the dog.
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Running out of options and with no time to lose, the man punched the black bear square in the face, stunning the creature and affording himself and his dog enough time to get back into the safety of the house and bolt the door behind them.
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Incredibly, his dog only required a few stitches and made a full recovery.
DNR conservation officer Andrea Erratt responded to the man's complaint with some advice to keep other black bears away from his home in the future.
"CO Erratt advised the homeowner to remove all his bird feeders, clean up all the sunflower seed husks, spread some moth balls and stop feeding corn to the deer and turkeys in the backyard," the report said.
Bear attacks are extremely rare, but if you happen to find yourself on the receiving end of one there are a few things you can do in order to better your chances of not winding up as mincemeat.
Out of black bears and brown bears (grizzly bears), black bears are the least aggressive. A black bear's first line of defence is usually to retreat but they have been known to attack when they feel threatened.
If you spot one nearby, you're advised to find shelter in a building or vehicle until it goes away. Or, if it attacks, kick it in the face (not our advice, but that of the US National Park Service).
For grizzly bears, the best advice is to play dead until the animal loses interest. Lie face down on the floor and place your hands over the back on your neck. Attempting to fight the bear will only intensify the attack.
Featured Image Credit: Casey Brown (Creative Commons)Topics: US News, Weird, Animals, Bear