Chukotka herder credits dog with driving off bear after attack

A reindeer herder in Chukotka said his dog drove away a brown bear that bit his thigh. In an account published by RIA Novosti on October 10, the man said he was still receiving treatment after the attack the previous week.

The man, identified as Pavel, works with the Vozrozhdenie reindeer-herding brigade, based about 250 kilometres from Konergino in the Egvekinot municipal district.

He said he was watching the surroundings through binoculars from a hill when his dog's barking alerted him. Turning around, he saw a bear approaching from the slope at close range.

Pavel initially tried to run, then stopped and lay on his side without fighting back or waving his arms. According to his account, the female bear bit his thigh, leaving two puncture wounds without damaging muscle or bone.

He credited the dog with driving the bear away and said it remained close to him afterward. The dog had received no special training, but had encountered bears before and learned to deter them, he said.

When speaking to the agency, Pavel was awaiting test results and said the wound was healing. He had seen bears at close range on earlier occasions but had never experienced an attack like this.

He said he usually associated the danger with hungry bears in spring, when he carries a weapon, and had not expected such an encounter at this time of year.