An elderly woman being savaged by a bear was rescued by friends – who shouted till it scarpered.
The 75-year-old had been taking an after-dinner stroll near her village when the animal appeared on a bend.
It reared up on to its back legs and struck her in the face with a front claw before trying to drag her away.
However her companions, who were a few feet ahead of her, got the animal to desist by yelling at it.
The victim, named only as Carmen, was taken to hospital with facial injuries and a broken pelvis, needing an operation.
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The attack was around 9pm on Sunday near the hamlet of Sonande in northern Spain.
It is believed to be the first bear-on-human attack in around 30 years in Asturias province.
Civil Guard officers are investigating and searching for the adult bear, which is expected to be removed from the area if it is categorised as “aggressive”.
Local mayor Jose Victor Rodriguez said yesterday: “In the last few years we have seen how the bears are getting closer to areas where people live.
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“They are becoming more human and that implies a safety risk.
"Governmental organisations have to take measures to ward off these animals.
"In this area we have seen videos of a bear walking through the village.
"We need to remember this is a wild animal.”
It is believed an oso pardo, or brown bear, was responsible for the attack but it is not known whether it was male or female.
Adult males can weigh more than 28 stone and females up to 22.
More than 300 bears are estimated to live in Spain.
Asturian president Adrian Barbon said of the woman: “We empathise with her.”
In November a wild boar hunter had to shoot a bear after it ran towards him in the Spanish Pyrenees.
