A Bosnian shepherd who killed with an axe a bear that attacked him overnight was hospitalised and his condition was described as serious, a local TV station reported on Sunday.
Blazo Grkovic, who was attacked by a brown bear as he was guarding his flock of sheep at the foot of southern Bosnian mountain Volujak, told local BN television he had "hit it in the neck."
"I had an axe in my hand and I managed to hit it in the neck. It fell and we fought close up," the shepherd told BN from his hospital bed in the nearby town of Foca.
"It bit me, and I hit it until it died. I have injuries everywhere, especially in my left arm where he bit me twice or three times," Grkovic said.
Although seriously injured, Grkovic managed to call his brother who came to find him with emergency services.
Police were investigating the incident.
Brown bears are a protected species in Europe. Its population in Bosnia is estimated at between 400 and 1,200.
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