Cyclist survives mauling from brown bear in Alaska

A cyclist in a rural borough of Alaska managed to survive a mauling from a brown bear, after he dropped to the ground to cover his head, kicking at the predator.

Alaska Wildlife Troopers reported that they were notified of a bear attack, after a man was cycling along the Jack River when he noticed the bear 30 feet away. The bear charged at the rider, with an official at the state's Department of Fish and Game telling local media that she thought the bear had been “kind of triggered by the motion of the bike. That turned on its prey drive and he was curious.”

The cyclist jumped off his bike and started to shout at the bear when it started running towards him, but to no avail. Despite carrying a gun, the cyclist decided not to shoot it, instead dropping to the ground and covering his head as the 500 pound animal bit the rider.

The Alaska Department of Public Safety said: “The bear made contact and bit the victim’s lower right leg, just below his knee."

"The bear made one contact and one bite then immediately retreated into the vegetation the same way it approached.” 

Wounded, the rider went to a nearby road to call a friend, who drove him to a medical clinic. He was treated for “puncture wounds and a laceration," but didn't seek any further medial assistance. 

The Alaska Department of Public Safety's statement also read: "The victim stated he did not notice anything out of the ordinary prior to the mauling but did say he noticed bear tracks in the snow."

While bear attacks are generally rare occurrences, this isn't the first one in Alaska or the United States this year. 

After a woman was killed by a bear in Montana in July, Greg Lemon, the administrator of communications for Fish, Wildlife and Parks said: "It's rare for us to have a human and grizzly bear encounter that results in a fatality. But it happens every year that people and bears have conflicts."