Man Says He Was Attacked by a Bear Outside His Home, Terrifying Video Shows the Animal Charging Toward Him By Toria Sheffield

A Florida man says he was attacked by a bear while leaving his home.

Alexander Rojas, 23, of Apopka, a city in Orange County, revealed that he was leaving for work at approximately 4 a.m. local time on the morning of Aug. 15 when he was confronted by two young black bears, per local news outlet WESH 2 and USA Today.

Ring camera footage of the harrowing moment shared with WESH 2 shows Rojas stepping out onto his front porch. He is startled by something in his line of sight, at which point a bear charges toward him. The footage cuts out just before the bear makes contact.

“For some odd reason, he [the bear] turned around, did more stutter steps toward me and bit my arm and then clawed my rib cage,” Rojas told WESH 2, adding, “I was able to kick his feet out and knock him in the nose.”

Rojas said he ran to a neighbor’s home, where he called his girlfriend.

“She had heard me screaming, and I was telling her to bring me towels. I was bleeding all over the ground,” he said. He added that he went to the ER, where he received tetanus and rabies shots.

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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating the incident, per WESH 2.

PEOPLE reached out to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for comment on Saturday, Aug. 30, but did not receive an immediate response.

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Rojas recounted the incident in more detail on a GoFundMe established by his sister, Yhelisa Rojas, to help cover his medical expenses.

“In that moment, I had three immediate options,” he recalled. “Attempt to open the door while a bear was still within five feet, run left where another bear of similar size was approximately 30 feet away, or run right toward the woods where the mother bear could potentially be.”

“I had to make a rapid decision under pressure. Ultimately, I evaded both bears by hurdling over a vehicle and moving into an open space further down the street,” he continued. 

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He added, “I want to emphasize that I did not harm or kill any of the bears. No bears were harmed during the encounter. My intent in sharing this information is solely to raise community awareness.”

Rojas additionally stated that he may have possible nerve or tendon damage in his forearm from the bite.

As of Aug. 30, the GoFundMe has raised $1,121 toward its ultimate goal of $3,500.