A 65-year-old fisherman has been praised for his nerve after he fought off a huge brown bear that charged at him by a riverbank, then walked back to his car and drove himself home. Vladimir Odulo was left with serious injuries, but he is recovering in hospital and already talking about going fishing again.
A warning from the puppy
The attack happened near Lenino village in the Primorsky region. Vladimir was fishing when his puppy, Duska, began barking and alerted him that something was wrong. Moments later a bear came at him. "The bear came at me like a mad thing," he said.
He did not run. Instead he swung his fishing rod at the animal and then punched it in the head. It was not enough to stop her. The bear knocked him off his feet, mauled his face, neck and chest, and dragged him into the water.
Vladimir shouted at the bear. Suddenly she let go of him and ran off. He believes that refusing to "show fear" may be what saved his life.
Walking out on his own
He briefly lost consciousness, but he quickly understood that he had to get help. According to his daughter Olga, he "got back on his feet, picked up his rucksack, called Duska, and walked 600 yards to his car, then drove home."
She said he arrived soaking wet and covered in blood, but still conscious. "If he’d gone unconscious, he would have bled to death," she said. "Everyone is amazed that the animal didn’t finish him off."
He was rushed to hospital, where surgeons operated at once on severe facial wounds and injuries to his eyes. The regional health ministry confirmed that he also suffered serious arm and thigh injuries.
Lessons and a family’s pride
Speaking to a local TV station from his hospital bed, Vladimir was asked what advice he would give to other anglers. His answer was simple: do not be afraid, and be careful when walking outdoors.
He also has plans for next time. He said he would carry a knife, and that he would definitely buy bear spray. Vladimir admitted he had met bears before and had always scared them off by shouting, but he had never come across one this aggressive.
His grandchildren left him a warm note wishing him a speedy recovery. "You beat a bear! What a brave victory!" they wrote. They also said he is now the biggest boss in the village.
How things stand now
Vladimir is recovering after his operations, and his family says his spirits are high. Olga asked him whether he would go fishing again. "I will," he told her. "What’s there to be afraid of?"
The attack comes in a bad year for bear encounters in Russia, which is suffering its worst year in living memory for deaths and injuries caused by the predators. Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds more injured. Against those odds, Vladimir’s escape stands out as a remarkable one.
Image credit: social media/east2west news
Source: The Mirror US
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