Tourist bitten by bear in Beijing wildlife park

A man in Beijing was attacked by a black bear at Badaling Wildlife World after he attempted to feed it through his car window on August 18.

Though park staff have previously warned tourists not to open their windows in the area, the man, surnamed Chen, still partially opened his window to throw food at two bears near his car. One bear started eating while another approached, suddenly forcing the window to open further.

His friend in the car, who initially wanted to take photos of Chen feeding the bears, happened to capture the terrifying moment.

Though Chen kept pressing the button to try and close the window, it failed to react, causing his left arm to be bitten by the bear in the heat of the moment.

The frightened man soon put his foot on the gas and made a hasty retreat. Meanwhile, patrol cars scared the bears away.

Chen was told to go to the park's tourist center, where his wound was disinfected. But as staff members there had no idea how to treat such an animal bite, Chen soon went to the hospital, where he received vaccines for rabies and tetanus.

Chen regretted breaking the park's rule, but also pointed out that he wasn't satisfied with the staff's attitude, or the mechanisms they have in place to protect tourists.

He is now recovering at home and has been contacted by park representatives. A manager of the park, surnamed Guo, said they are paying close attention to Chen's condition.

After the incident, Yanqing tourism authorities asked management to carry out improvements and limit the number of self-driving cars allowed into the park. It was also ordered to strengthen patrols to ensure the safety of visitors.