Russian Angler Plays Ringtone to Scare Off Attacking Bear
OutdoorHub Reporters 08.05.14
Igor Vorozhbitsyn, 42, almost died after a brutal mauling by a bear in Russia’s Sakha Republic. His face was left badly scarred and he received multiple laceration wounds as a result of the attack, which occurred during a recent fishing trip. According to The Express, the angler had left his car and was walking towards a familiar fishing spot when the bruin surprised him from behind. To Vorozhbitsyn’s shock, he was quickly overwhelmed and knocked over by the large animal.
The angler recalled the bear clawing at his face, arms, and torso before his phone rang, playing Justin Bieber’s song “Baby.” The noise apparently scared off the bear, which fled towards the forest.
“I couldn’t believe my luck,” Vorozhbitsyn said.
It is not the first time someone has used a cell phone to ward off a bear. Late last year a visitor to Churchill, Canada was able to escape a similar mauling by surprising the bear with his cell phone’s bright screen. Experts say that unexpected noises or lights can be enough for a bear to stop its attack.
“Sometimes a sharp shock can stop an angry bear in its tracks and that ringtone would be a very unexpected sound for a bear,” an expert told the Daily Mail.
As for Vorozhbitsyn, he said he was very lucky that the phone rang when it did. He also clarified that he was not the one who put the ringtone on his phone, even though it saved his life.
“I know that sort of ringtone isn’t to everyone’s taste but my granddaughter loaded it onto my phone for a joke,” he said.
