CHENGDU — Mu Guangcai's heart still races with fear as he recounts his harrowing battle with a black bear.

The 58-year-old, who at 1.57 meters tall and weighing just over 50 kilograms, was smaller and lighter than the bear, somehow managed to overpower it and rescue his wife from the jaws of death. The terrifying incident unfolded on Nov 20, when a black bear burst into their yard in Zixin village, Sichuan province, knocking his wife to the ground. "I grabbed a hammer, aiming for the bear's head, but I was afraid of accidentally hitting my wife. So instead, I struck its back," he said.

The bear released his wife but then knocked him to the ground. Their dog started barking incessantly, which distracted the bear and helped shift its focus. "I seized the opportunity to grab an axe and strike at the bear," Mu said, adding that, as a carpenter, tools are always within reach in his home.

Furious, the bear lunged at him once more, pinning Mu into a corner. Unable to move, his mind focused solely on fighting with everything he had. "In that moment, I grabbed a carpenter's adze and struck the bear again. Finally, it collapsed," he said.

The black bear was killed and its lifeless body was sent to a local university. With approval from the relevant authorities, it will be used for scientific research and educational purposes.

Mu said he had sustained bruises on his back and a dislocated arm, while his wife suffered multiple injuries to her head, face, chest and back. Neither of them is in a life-threatening condition and they are both receiving treatment at the hospital, with the costs covered by the government's wildlife liability insurance.

Xinhua