A Florida bear attack on a man who went outside while letting his dog out led to the man needing surgery and 41 stitches to treat his injuries.
Naples, Florida, resident Andrew Meunier said his spooked dog ran back into the house a few seconds after being let out around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday, the Palm Beach Post reported. But before Meunier could react, he was attacked by the bear and knocked to the ground. He managed to get up and back into his apartment where his 7-year-old was sleeping before the bear could attack again.
“Everything went in slow motion. It was just as scary as you can imagine,” Meunier told WZVN. “Truthfully, I’m not sure how I got out alive.”
Meunier suffered injuries to his face and chest.
He said he's seen bears in the area before, but Meunier is the first reported person ever to be attacked by a bear in South Florida.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is now attempting to capture the bear that attacked Meunier as well as any other bears in the area, the Palm Beach Post reported.
Meunier joked about the attack and said he felt lucky to be alive.
“I don’t care if this scars, or anything, I walked away with my life, and it could’ve been a whole lot worse,” he told WZVN.
A neighbor, Kirk Amerine, reported seeing a mother and three cubs in the area near the apartment building recently, WFTX reported.
“Any bear to me is big, but have to say this one here is probably between 250 to 300 pounds,” Amerine said.
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