Bear bites hunter in the face so he makes it into goulash

A SWEDISH hunter who was bitten in the face by a wild bear before shooting it dead has taken “ultimate revenge” by turning the animal’s meat into tacos, kebabs and a rich goulash.

Pär Sundström, 42, and his 14-yearold son Evert were hunting in the forest near the town of Ljusdal in central Sweden last August when they spotted the bear coming towards them. It suddenly charged, bowling Mr Sundström to the ground, biting his face and ripping off his right cheek.

His son plucked up the courage to intervene, hitting the bear as hard as he could on the head. The animal turned on him, biting him on the arm while Evert kept lashing out with his other arm.

His intervention saved his father’s life and gave him enough time to retrieve his rifle, which had fallen to the ground. Taking careful aim so that he did not hit his son, Mr Sundström shot the bear dead.

Six months have passed and the father and son are recovering from their injuries, with Mr Sundström due to undergo further facial surgery.

But they do not lack sustenance because immediately after being shot dead, the bear was butchered by fellow hunters and its meat delivered to the Sundströms’ house, where it fills a freezer.

The family are now making the most of it, cooking it into a goulash and using it to stuff tacos.

“Making tacos out of a bear that bit me in the face, that must be the ultimate revenge,” Mr Sundström told the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet.

There are estimated to be around 2,800 bears in Sweden and hunting them, based on quotas, is legal. Last year the number of bears that could be killed was set at 649, the highest number for years.