Bicyclist Fends Off 500-Pound Grizzly Bear by Kicking It

A man on a morning bike ride in Alaska was able to fight off a 500-pound brown bear during an attack by kicking it.

The incident took place in Cantwell, about 30 miles away from Denali National Park in south-central Alaska, last week. The unidentified victim, who was carrying a firearm that he did not use, was riding his bike along the river when the bear began charging him from 30-45 feet away, according to an incident report from the Alaskan Wildlife Troopers.

The man got off his bike and began to yell at the bear but when this failed to deter the animal, he fell to the ground, covered his head, and began kicking at the bear, which retreated after biting the man on his lower right leg. 

The man managed to walk to the highway, which was 400 yards away, and called a friend for assistance. He received treatment for puncture wounds and a laceration on his leg at a nearby clinic. 

There have been several reported bear encounters in Alaska recently. In September, a hunter was injured by a grizzly bear and her two cubs in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, according to NBC News. In August, a grizzly bear injured a tourist who scared the animal off using bear spray at Denali National Park and Preserve, and in July, a man spent several days enduring repeated attacks and harassment from a grizzly bear before finally being rescued from the roof of a shack he had been staying in.

Although the state has been described as "bear county," the Alaska Department for Fish and Game has emphasized that aggressive encounters with the species are rare.

• Bear on the Loose at Tokyo Olympics 
• Bear Opens Window of Montana Home to Search for Food