Florida Man Mauled by Bears While Leaving His House for W…

A Florida man’s early morning routine turned chaotic when he found himself face-to-face with not one, but two black bears in his front yard.

According to USA Today, at about 4 a.m. on August 15, 23-year-old Alexander Rojas stepped outside his home to head to work. Security footage from his Ring camera shows him locking his door before spotting movement nearby—two juvenile bears were already in his path.

Rojas said the situation left him with no safe escape route. “I had three immediate options: attempt to open the door while a bear was still within five feet, run left where another bear of similar size was approximately 30 feet away, or run right toward the woods where the mother bear could potentially be,” he wrote on a GoFundMe organized by his sister, Yhelisa.

Before he could react, one of the bears lunged, biting into his arm and clawing his ribs. “For some odd reason, he turned around, did more stutter steps towards me and bit my arm and then clawed my rib cage,” Rojas told WESH. He managed to fight back, kicking the animal off balance and striking its nose before vaulting over a car and sprinting down the street to safety.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed that Rojas was treated at a local hospital and later released. He required stitches to his arm and abdomen and is facing possible nerve and tendon damage.

“My arm is currently very uncomfortable [and] my hand feels really weak,” he told USA Today, noting that further medical evaluations are scheduled.

Wildlife officers returned to the neighborhood on August 21 in an attempt to trap the animals. The agency emphasized that while black bear encounters are increasing across Florida, attacks remain rare.

Still, officials warned that food left outdoors, unsecured garbage, or fallen fruit can draw bears closer to homes.