A climber remarkably fought off a huge black bear while clinging to a cliff with dramatic video footage showing the exact moment he was attacked by the animal.
The man escaped alive following the ordeal on Mount Futago, Japan, and filmed the heart-stopping encounter in a video that went viral online.
Screams can be heard in the video as the bear lunges towards the climber and the man starts to defend himself, kicking and punching the animal.
The bear retreats momentarily but then keeps returning to try and attack the man.
The climber continues to defend himself before the wild animal and its cubs move away.
After about 30 seconds, the climber moves in the opposite direction while still looking around to make sure the bear doesn't return.
The climber said in the video's description on YouTube: "I was attacked by a bear from behind while descending the rocky ridge of Mt. Futago in Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan.
"Instead of fear, I switched to the feeling that if it was coming, I had no choice but to face it."
The climber said he believed the bear was trying to protect his cub as he had invaded his territory, but he tried to defend himself after being attacked.
The video attracted many comments and a person said: "This is the most insane video I've ever seen. I'm so glad you were able to defend yourself. Well done!"
Another added: "It's incredible that you dodged the attack and fought her off. I am curious whether she was protecting her cub or trying to kill you for food? The cub didn't seem afraid."
The animal appeared to be an Asiatic black bear, also known as a moon bear because of the crescent-shaped marking on its chest. There are estimated to be around 10,000 black bears in the wild in Japan.
Nikko Yumoto Visitor Centre says that because Asian black bears can run at 40 to 50 km per hour, as well as climb trees and swim, you should think about protecting your body instead of running away if you encounter one.
You can curl up in a ball, face down, and protect your neck and head with your arms, or hide behind a big rock or fallen tree while waiting for the bear to leave.
