VIDEO: Florida man survives bear attack at home

APOPKA, Fla. — A Florida man is recovering after being attacked by a bear in front of his home.

Ring doorbell footage shows Alexander Rojas turning around in front of the door around 4 a.m. Aug. 15 at his Apopka home and spotting two young bears running across the yard. He tried to yell at them to get them to go away, but one of them ran towards him.

Wildlife officials said the bear bit and scratched him before he was able to escape.

According to a GoFundMe set up by his sister, Rojas was able to evade both bears by hurdling over a vehicle and moving into an open space further down the street. 

Pictures posted on the fundraising page show the scratches on his body and his arm wrapped in a bandage. Another photo also shows the fence damaged from the bear getting through. 

He wrote that he had to get stitches and “may have possible nerve or tendon damage in my forearm from the bite.”

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said bears are not generally aggressive, but if they feel threatened, they can become defensive. 

“Juvenile or yearling bears – between the ages of 1½ -2½ – start dispersing in spring and summer each year,” said the FWC’s Bear Management Program Coordinator Mike Orlando. “The best thing people can do if they see a bear in an unexpected area is to give them plenty of space and to never approach or feed them, and they will typically move along on their own.”   

Here’s what you can do to prevent conflicts with these animals: 

• Secure food and garbage: 
  • Put garbage in a sturdy shed or garage, and put it out the morning of pick-up
  • Use a bear-resistant container
  • Put commercial garbage in bear-resistant dumpsters
  • Protect gardens with electric fencing
  • Pick ripe fruit from trees and bushes, and remove fallen fruit from the ground
• Remove or secure bird and wildlife feeders
• Don’t leave pet food outdoors
• Clean and store grills
• Alert neighbors to bear activity
• When walking dogs, keep them close on a leash
  • Before letting dogs out at night, flip lights on and off and bang on the door to give bears and other wildlife a chance to leave the area
• Slow down while driving to avoid hitting bears in the roadway

If you feel threatened by a bear or observe one, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission alert hotline at 888-404-3922.