Wild bear shot dead after boy rescued dad from beast's jaws by punching it in the head
A stock image of a European brown bear
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A wild bear has been shot dead after a boy rescued his father by punching the ursine mammal in the head.
An unnamed father and son encountered the 22 stone female bear in a rural area in Central Sweden.
The teenager rescued his father from the attack during a hunting trip to Ljusdal.
Jonny Sjoblom, who was leading the local hunt, explained how the bear assailed the father.
Two rescued brown bear cubs, Mish (left) and Lucy, arrive at their new home with the wildlife conservation charity Wildwood Trust in Herne Bay, Kent
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He told Swedish news agency TT: "The bear pinned him down and hurt his face.
“The brave son then hit the bear's head, diverting its attention.
@But the bear bit the son's wrist. Thankfully, the distraction gave the father time to shoot the bear and save them."
The pair were taken to hospital shortly after the incident.
The father sustained a serious face injury but his life is not in danger.
Bear attacks on humans remain very rare, including in Sweden.
Predator expert Benny Gafvert claimed bears are more capable of killing humans when being hunted as they feel more under threat.
Gafvert, who works for the Swedish branch of the WWF, told a local TV channel: "It wasn’t a giant bear, but you compare it to a dog, for example, it was significantly bigger, stronger and with more power in its jaws."
A bear climbs a tree
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He added: "Bears are highly intelligent animals and mainly want to neutralise any threat in order to get away."
However, issues in Sweden come as the number of brown bears in the northern region of the Scandinavian country grew by around 3,000.
The increasing number of brown bears has led to problems for both farmers and herders.
Authorities responded by approving the largest bear hunt in decades.
Hunters will be allowed to kill up to 649 bears this year.