Farmer who fought terrifying three-hour battle with clawed beast astonishes medics by surviving MASSIVE head injuries caused in the attack
Miraculous mushroom grower staggers nearly three miles with face hanging off to get help
A FARMER has somehow survived horrific head injuries he suffered from a terrifying three-hour bear mauling.
Miracle man Jube Valanti Adveppache, 58, had his face ripped open by the clawed beast but managed to stagger for miles to seek medical help.
The mushroom grower was working his fields in southern India when a vicious sloth bear -- which is known for its aggression -- attacked without warning.
Jube later told police how the animal kept up its vicious assault for THREE gruelling hours.
The 130kg monster kept breaking off its attack before striking again in a torturous rampage.
When it thought Jube was dead it moved off into the dense forests around Haliyal in Karnataka State.
Brave Jube then managed to stagger nearly three miles while suffering from heavy bleeding to get to his village, he told officials.
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Doctors have described Jube's speedy recovery as astonishing.
He has been moved from an intensive care unit to a regular hospital to continue his recovery.
Pictures show the extent of his wounds, with huge gashes across his face and a heavily swollen right eye.
Sloth bears are native to the Indian subcontinent.
They have been responsible for the deaths of dozens of people in recent years as humans increasingly encroach on their natural habitat.
Just yesterday two people were mauled to death in Chhattisgarh province by the massive creature.
What are sloth bears and why are they so deadly?
Sloth bears are a bit misleading by name.
They are not related to sloths and they are not slow moving.
They’re agile bears that can run faster than a human and will attack if surprised.
The animal was named sloth bear due to its thick claws and unusual teeth.
Sloth bears sometimes hang upside down on tree branches much like a tree sloth.
Shaggy, dusty and unkempt, the reclusive sloth bear has its home in the forests of South Asia.
Most sloth bears live in India and Sri Lanka, others live in southern Nepal and they have been reported in Bhutan and Bangladesh.
A cream-coloured ‘V’ or ‘Y’ usually marks their chests.
They have a life span of up to 40 years, can grow up to 5-6 ft and weigh between 120-310 pounds.
The sloth bear is listed as vulnerable on the World Conservation Union’s Red List of Threatened Animals.
There are estimated to be only 8,000 to 10,000 bears living in the wild.
There are threats against the sloth bear including loss of habitat, widespread poaching and persecution from crop farmers.
Sloth bear cubs are also often snatched from the wild to become dancing bears.
The male victims, ages 60 and 35, were attacked by a sloth bear that had been marked for culling because of its aggression.
Witnesses said the oldest victim had been dragged into a cave to be eaten and the younger man had tried to rescue him after hearing screams.
The animal had fled by the time police arrived.
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