He didn’t disable the furry fury but he was able to take it by surprise enough to survive the ordeal.
> More Popular and trending stories
The bear fought with the shepherd for several minutes and then, apparently done with the old man, threw him off a cliff before meandering away.
"I got off easy," Yusuf told The Guardian. "It would have killed me if I'd chickened out."
Easy might be a stretch. Yousef was hospitalized with broken ribs, bruises and bite wounds -- all of which sounds better than the alternative.
Officials in the Russian region of Kabardino-Balkaria say they are not going to hunt the bear because they think it was “just playing with” Yusuf.
More Popular Headlines
About the Author