Russian woman beats bear barehanded after it attacks her husband

A 43 year-old housewife from the Russian city of Belokurikhi, Altai Region, has sprung upon a furious bear and saved her husband’s life, Russian website LIFE.ru reports.

Tatiana Shlyapuzhnikova, her husband Vitaly and their 9 year-old daughter Polina were taking a walk in the suburbs when they have heard a woman's anguished cries from the forest.

“I looked back and saw that a huge brown bear had stripped a tourist’s bag and was already lashing out at the woman,” 44-year old Vitaly Shlyapuzhnikov said. “I rushed to rescue the scared tourist at once.”

Vitaly grabbed the angry bear and tried to pull it away. But the animal broke loose and rounded on the rescuer.  

“We were locked in hand-to-hand combat and rolled downhill. But when we fell into a small pond, the bear released me and had a go at my wife and daughter. I almost forgot myself, but my wife’s cries brought me back to my senses,” Vitaly said.

He rushed to rescue his family, beat down the bear which then reared up on its hind legs and prepared to strike the woman, who had hidden her daughter behind her back. The man and the animal came to grips again.

Vitaly tried to break loose but to no avail. 

“I was within a hair's breadth of death. I had already given up and stopped resisting. However, I felt the bear’s hold loosen. I next remember the desperate scream of my wife,” he said.

Tatiana had attacked the bear from behind and dragged it away, she then shouted at the animal so loudly that it fled into the forest.

“I really don’t know I could do this. I just realized that the bear was about to kill my husband, if I didn't do something. I couldn't think of anything better to do than shout at the animal,” Tatiana said. 

Police officers then tracked and shot the bear.

Vitaly was taken to hospital, where doctors say his condition is stable.

“I didn’t know that my wife was so strong,” he said after a medical checkup.

“I’m very strong in fear,” Tatiana answered.