A man has survived after being attacked by a grizzly bear while hunting birds in the United States.
The 51-year-old was forced to defend himself after surprising an adult male bear in Glacier National Park in Montana on Tuesday afternoon.
Montana wildlife officials said the man from Washington state and his wife were hunting on private property with their dog.
After trying to wash away a bird, he came face-to-face with the bear at the bottom of a creek east of the town of Choteau.
According to Dave Hagengruber, a spokesman for the state wildlife department, the bear rushed out of the bushes, knocked the man down and stepped on him.
The 677-pound (307-kilogram) bear retreated after being wounded by the man, who was shot with a shotgun and a pistol.
He and his wife fled the scene before notifying authorities.
The man was admitted to hospital on Tuesday night without any claw marks or bite marks.
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The grizzly bear is protected under federal endangered species laws, but officials, including bear management experts and gamekeepers, have decided it should be euthanized because of the damage it suffered.
A drone was used to find the animal, which has no known history of attacking humans.
Evidence suggests the bear attacked after being surprised at the scene.
The state wildlife department has issued guidance warning people to be vigilant in the “bear country” that covers much of western Montana.
Glacier National Park.Image: Associated Press
Recommendations include carrying bear spray, caring in areas with poor visibility and hunting in groups.
Grizzlies in the area are thought to have taken at least eight lives since 2010.
a bear Woman beaten to death in remote campground in Montana last July.
Leah Davis Lokan, 65, encountered the bear about an hour before the attack and scared it away, but it returned in the early hours and killed her.
Experts believe the bear had “adapted to the food” and was attracted to the smell of food in and around the tent.
A 40-year-old hiker from Montana is believed to have died in a Suspected grizzly attack North of Yellowstone National Park this March.