Not beary wise.
A young black bear mauled a Florida man earlier this month after he shouted at two juvenile animals that had wandered into the yard of his Apopka home.
Alexander Rojas, identified by News 6 as the victim, spotted two young bears running across his front yard around 4 a.m. on August 15. Stepping outside, he shouted to “haze” them, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said, per the outlet.
But instead of fleeing, one of the bears spun around and lunged, sinking its teeth and claws into Rojas before he was able to fight it off and stumble back into his home.
In a GoFundMe created by Rojas’s sister, Yhelisa, Alexander said he was “confronted” by the two bears on his way to work, one of which bit his forearm, requiring stitches and possible nerve or tendon damage.
One of two young black bears in Alexander Rojas’ Florida yard attacked him on August 15 (Getty/GoFundMe)
“At the beginning of the video, I can be heard yelling—this was an attempt to scare the bears away as one was already charging toward me,” Alexander wrote, referring to Ring doorbell camera footage shared with the news outlet.
“I was not attempting to engage with the second bear. In that moment, I had three immediate options: attempt to open the door while a bear was still within five feet, run left where another bear of similar size was approximately 30 feet away, or run right toward the woods where the mother bear could potentially be. I had to make a rapid decision under pressure. Ultimately, I evaded both bears by hurdling over a vehicle and moving into an open space further down the street. I want to emphasize that I did not harm or kill any of the bears,” he continued.
A Ring doorbell footage captured the juvenile bear attacking Rojas (GoFundMe)
FWC investigators said the attack was reported on Thursday, after which a trap was placed on the property in an effort to capture the bear responsible. Alexander Rojas was treated, then released, at a local hospital.
“No bears were harmed during the encounter. My intent in sharing this information is solely to raise community awareness,” he wrote on the GoFundMe page.
At the time of publication, two donors have contributed just $116 toward the fundraiser’s $3,500 goal.
