Man chops off arm to escape bear attack in Thailand zoo
Stefan Claudio Specogna resorted to the shocking act to save himself after the Asian black bear grabbed his right arm in its jaws and refused to let go.
A 32-year-old man chopped off his arm with a pocket knife to escape a bear attack at a wildlife foundation in Chiang Mai, Thailand, recently. The Swiss man named Stefan Claudio Specogna resorted to the shocking act to save himself after the Asian black bear grabbed his right arm in its jaws and refused to let go, reported Newsweek citing the Bangkok Post. Stefan didn't want to harm the animal.
The incident happened when Stefan was feeding the bear. Having escaped the bear's violent attack, Stefan was given first aid and then taken to hospital for surgery. "[He was] rushed to Chiangdao hospital with a torn arm piece from the elbow in critical condition. He was recently transferred to a private hospital in downtown Chiang Mai for surgery," One News 31 said in a Facebook post.
ALSO READ| Iran begins building 4 more nuclear power plants amid concerns about nukes
About Asian black bear
Asian black bear or Asiatic black bear are found in the Himalayas, Southeast Asia and parts of eastern Asia, including Japan. As omivores, they are known to eat insects, honey, fruits, nuts, small mammals, and birds. They have a distinctive body feature of a whitish mark shaped like a crescent moon on the chest.
On the IUCN Red List, the Asiatic black bear is listed as a vulnerable species. They are under threat due to environmental factors like deforestation, loss of habitat etc. These bears are also hunted for their skin and gallbladders, for use in traditional medicine.
Compared to the brown bears and American black bears, these bears are usually more aggressive towards humans. In the wild, they are known to attack and kill people.
