An unarmed Russian man fended off a gruesome bear attack in a remote forest in Siberia by biting the animal’s tongue off, the media reports citing local police.

Ten days ago, Nikolay Irgit, 30, along with two friends went to a local forest reserve in the Tuva region of southern Siberia to collect horns shed by deer and moose. The journey into the wilderness was not only dangerous but illegal as well, since the men had no permits for collecting the remains of animals. The horns, used for medical purposes and making furniture, are often sold for a hefty price on the black market.

The horn hunt went as planned at first. The men arrived at the spot and set up camp. They started a fire, cooked food, and split up to cover more ground. Irgit went alone, deep into the forest, where he suddenly stumbled across a brown bear.

Weighing up to 600kg, Siberian bears are ferocious creatures, capable of ripping an adult man apart. It is almost impossible to run away from their attacks. Frightened, Irgit screamed, trying to scare off the beast. The tactic backfired dramatically as the bear quickly charged at him.

The animal repeatedly bit the man’s face and head, also injuring his hands and stomach. Irgit refused to give up. Right as the bear was snapping its jaws at his face, the man “managed to bite the bear’s tongue off, after which the bear was frightened and ran away,” the police report said.

After the beast was gone, a bloodied Irgit had enough strength left to call for help. His friends arrived and called the ambulance. The media shared a photo of Irgit on the hospital bed, with his head bandaged and face covered with stitches.

The man was lucky enough to survive the bear attack but did not escape the law. The police launched an administrative case against him for illegal activities in the forest reserves.

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