Man, 80, fights off bear attack then falls down cliff - and survives



A hardy 80-year-old shepherd considers himself lucky to be alive after fighting off a bear attack with kicks and headbutts before falling down a cliff.

Yusuf Alchagirov was approached by the animal in a raspberry field in the southern Russian region of Kabardino-Balkaria.

According to the Ria Novosti, Mr Alchagirov tried to stab the bear when it approached, but the animal knocked his knife away.

He then became embroiled in a tussle with the bear, head butting and kicking it. Apparently enraged by the blows, the bear threw Alchagirov off a cliff and walked away.

Mr Alchagirov was briefly hospitalised with bruises, bites and four broken ribs after last week's attack.

But he was happily sitting up and eating three traditional pies baked for him by his family in celebration of his survival this week.

According to the Guardian, Mr Alchagirov said: "I got off easy. It would have killed me if I'd chickened out."

It has been reported that locals will not be hunting the bear down because they believe it was only playing with Alchagirov.



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