Brave wildlife volunteer cuts off his own ARM with a pocket knife to flee the bear that clamped its jaws on his bloodied limb
A BRAVE wildlife volunteer chopped off his own arm with a pocket knife after a bear clamped its jaws around it and refused to let go.
The man, named locally as Stefan Claudio Specogna, 32, had his hand stuck in the Asian black bear cage to place food on a tray as the horror unfolded.
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The victim, of Switzerlandtried with all his might to free himself, but after the bear refused to let go, he courageously cut off his bloodied limb with the pocket knife he was carrying.
Bystanders gave him first aid before taking him from the scene in Mueang Ngai, Thailandto a hospital in nearby Chiang Dao.
He was later transferred to a private facility in Chiang Mai, the largest city in northern Thailand.
Local media report he will undergo surgery, but it is not clear whether surgeons will be able to reattach the shattered limb.
After the horror ordeal, locals showered him with praise for not hurting the man animal.
Someone named Chonticha said, “His heart is truly kind.
“He was willing to amputate his own arm, but he did not harm the animal.”
The bear in question was rescued in 2013 after getting lost outside the forest.
It was taken to a national park before being transferred to the wild animals shrine.
The Asiatic black bear is a vulnerable species due to shrinking forests, poaching and other threats.
Although usually shy, it is more aggressive towards humans than the Eurasian brown bear American black bear.
In November, two gas drilling workers miraculously walked away from a ferocious brown bear attack despite serious injuries, including an exposed skull.
The two men suffered deep head and arm wounds while wrestling the wild beast in a horrific mauling that was caught on film.
It came just a month later a married couple was killed after being brutally attacked by a grizzly bear while taking their dog for a walk in a national park.
Officials said the gruesome scene took place in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, in the Red Deer River Valley, west of Ya Ha Tinda Ranch.