A hiker used a small axe to defend himself from a charging bear with her three cubs.
The man was walking his dog along a nature trail when he saw the animal with her cubs and a young adult bear, believed to be a grown sibling.
He said he whistled to alert the bears to his presence and not surprise them.
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But the mother attacked him anyway.
Footage showed the brave hiker, named Mr Piotr, taking cover behind a forked tree as the bear charged at him.
He apparently whacked it with his small axe, used to cut down overgrown branches during his ramble.
The bear circled around and attacked again, but the man was ready with his chopper, similar in shape to a shepherd’s axe.
The bear then ran into the woods as the hiker’s dog gave chase.
The man was seen spraying the air with bear deterrent as the clip came to an end.
The dramatic animal attack took place in the Malá Fatra mountain range, north east of Bratislava, Slovakia, on Friday (21 Mar).
According to reports, the bear’s cubs followed her down the slope after she ran away.
Mr Piotr was uninjured, as reported by Need To Know.
He told local media: “She flattened her ears and charged me.
“I had bear spray with me, but it didn’t help.
“I sprayed it everywhere, but she kept attacking me.
“So I took out an axe and hit her on the head twice.
“I hid behind a tree and every time she attacked, I hit her on the head.
“If I didn’t have the axe, she would have killed me on the spot.”
Mr Piotr said he carries the handheld tool to clear the path of hanging branches and undergrowth.
He also warned other hikers to take extra care in the coming months as bears will soon enter their mating season and there will be more of them in the area.
One local said: “It’s amazing how he didn’t panic.”
Anton added: “Wow, brave guy, hats off.”
Dusan said: “He was lucky.”
Nadhera said: “What more can I add. Simply amazing. Lynx, Wolf. Incredible beauty.”
Another local added: “Those babies. This is seriously amazing.”
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