Bear attacks as man leaps into enclosure

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A bear has attacked a man who entered its enclosure at a new park in Switzerland, and a policeman opened fire on the animal to defend the intruder.

Police say the 25-year-old man and the three-year-old bear both were injured on Saturday (local time) at Bear Park in the city of Bern.

The small park, which opened last month, provides two bears with slopes, grasslands, a river and a cave.

Police say the mentally handicapped man climbed onto a wall surrounding the park and fell four metres into the bears' enclosure.

One of the bears responded by attacking the man, injuring his head and one leg.

A nearby policeman shot at the bear, injuring it and forcing it to retreat into the cave.

The bear was being treated at the park and the man at a nearby hospital.

- AP