A Florida man fought off a bear on his porch after it tried to attack his two small dogs, doorbell video footage has shown.
TikTok user Kerry Rubino Hickox posted the dramatic video on the social media platform with the caption “Florida Black Bear Attacks!”
She later added in an update on Thursday: “Dogs and my husband are ok. Husband has to start rabies shots today so he’s nervous.”
The video has been viewed more than 14 million times as of Friday morning.
The Daytona Beach man quickly bent down to push the bear off the porch as it appears to have been trying to attack his pets.
The man then pulled a bench in front of the entrance in an attempt to prevent the bear from getting onto the porch again.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said in a press release that the attack occurred around 7.30pm on Wednesday. They added that the man received injuries that were not life-threatening.
“FWC bear biologists and law enforcement officers immediately responded to the scene and are attempting to capture the bear. Per FWC policy, staff will humanely kill the bear if captured since it poses a threat to human safety,” the commission said.
The Independent has reached out to Ms Rubino Hickox for comment.
The bear attack took place only a week after a similar incident in the state. A woman called Aydee was attacked by a bear while walking her dog in DeBary north of Orlando. The woman, who was bleeding from her face after the attack, told Fox 35 Orlando that she screamed to her “neighbour to see if he could call 911 or help me or, I don’t know, take the gun out – whatever”.
Aydee told Fox 35 she took off running and that the bear chased after her.
Austin Kennedy was one of four neighbours who came outside.
He told the local TV station that he heard “pounding on the door” and that he “looked out the window” to see “people with their firearms out”.
“Her main concern was her dog,” Mr Kennedy said.
The neighbours were able to scare off the bear and her cubs until authorities arrived. The FWC decided to kill the bear as they viewed it as a continuing threat.
Aydee told Fox 35 that she hopes the cubs are relocated. “I’m an animal lover,” she said, but she also added that the bear was “trespassing” at her house and that she hadn’t been in the bear’s “territory”.
The FWC has said that if someone encounters a bear, they should stand upright, speak in a calm yet assertive voice, and “back up slowly toward a secure area while making sure to leave the bear a clear escape route”.
They said eye contact should be avoided as bears “may view this as aggressive behaviour”. They added that if movement seems to bother the bear, it’s critical to “stop and hold your ground”. You shouldn’t run, make sudden movements or pretend to be dead.
“Black bears eat things that play dead or are dead,” the FWC said. They added that if a bear attacks, it’s vital to “fight back aggressively”.
“People have successfully fended off black bear attacks using rocks, sticks, or even their bare hands,” the commission said, but added that it’s not advised to take “unnecessary risks” to help pets or other animals but instead to leave those situations to FWC officers.
