Pär (42) makes family dinner out of a bear that bit his face off

Pär Sundström, a Swedish hunter, survives a bear attack thanks to his son. Revenge comes in the form of tacos.

Ramsjö – Hunting is a widespread sport in Sweden. Pär Sundström (42), a resident of Ramsjö, is a regular hunter. In 2023, he was attacked by a bear during a hunt and only survived thanks to the help of his 15-year-old son. Today he eats the meat of the animal.

Pär Sundström almost dies while hunting a bear in Sweden

The incident occurred in August 2023, Sundström reported to the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, that they had heard of a bear nearby and went hunting when they suddenly saw the animal coming towards them. “I had the chance to shoot, but there was a dog in the way. I thought I would get another chance,” recalls the hunter.

From then on the situation quickly became life-threatening. The bear ran towards Sundström and, weighing around 140 kilos, lunged at the man with full force. “He bit me on the cheek and I had to shoot when he was practically on top of me,” Sundström reports Aftonbladet. All of this happened within a few seconds, leaving little time to think.

Son's karate trick saved hunter from fatal bear attack

Fortunately, Sundström's son Evert was also at his side and saved his life. He hit the bear specifically in the head with a karate punch. Of course, he also drew attention to himself and the bear then bit his arm. Evert lost consciousness. However, this action gave his father room for maneuver and Sundström fired a second time – so he was able to kill the bear.

Serious injuries: “Dad had the right side of his cheek and nose in his hand”

15-year-old Evert Sundström still remembers it well: “Dad had the right side of his cheek and nose in his hand. I saw the cheekbone and everything,” he tells the Swedish newspaper. He called 911 and father and son were taken to hospital and treated.

Sundström suffered serious injuries and was operated on in several hospitals. At Uppsala University Hospital, his face was finally restored through plastic surgery using pieces of skin from his thigh.

Hunter takes “revenge” on the bear and eats it as a taco

And what happened to the bear? “revenge,” the hunter tells the Aftonbladet. The bear's carcass is now in the family freezer and is used for various meat dishes, including tacos. “Making a taco out of a bear that bit me in the face has to be the ultimate revenge,” says Sundström.

Reports of dangerous hunting accidents are not uncommon, even in Austria and Germany. But the Sundströms are not thinking of giving up the hunt. They plan to set up bear traps by summer. Both emphasize that they have no lasting trauma from the attack. They view the incident as an experience and are grateful that they survived.

Hunting in Sweden: A popular sport

In Sweden there are around 300,000 hunters among 10.4 million inhabitants. Anyone who owns at least five hectares of agricultural or forestry land and has a valid hunting license automatically receives the right to hunt small game schwedenstube.de reported. According to the Swedish Embassy website, all hunters must officially register with the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and pay an annual hunting fee.

What to do: What to do if you encounter a bear

Dangerous collisions with bears occur again and again. In Germany in particular, it is unlikely that you will encounter a wild bear. The animals avoid people. The State Office for the Environment offer some instructions if a meeting does take place:

• Stand still
• Talk calmly to the bear and draw its attention to you
• Do not throw objects at the animal or try to scare it away with gestures
• Don't turn your back on the bear and back away slowly
• Give the bear an escape route

There is currently excitement in Italy about the M90 ​​bear that was killed there. He was classified as a problem bear. Animal rights activists call this a “literal execution.” There were also reports of a bear in Bavaria last year.

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