A man who attacked one of the bears at Warsaw Zoo after climbing into its pen on Solidarności was later found at a city center hospital suffering from arm injuries. The oddball 32-year-old who hasn’t been named was spotted by a horrified passer-by scaling the enclosure before running up to the female bear named Sabina. Captured on camera by a stunned witness, the man, who was barefoot and wearing shorts, was snapped with his arm inside the animal’s mouth. Other photos then show the 440lb bear apparently trying to bite him and him responding with his fists. The man then fled leaving a trail of blood.

Maria Krakowiak, Head of Predatory Animals at the zoo, said: “The enclosure is heavily ringed off and no one in their right mind would try and get in there. What his thinking was, we have no idea – he survived but we don’t know where he went.” Police launched a manhunt and found the man four days later recovering at a local hospital. He has refused to elaborate on his actions though eyewitnesses claim he had been acting erratically and was either under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Giving him paws for thought, he now faces a fine of up to 1,000zl for provoking the animal.