KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 20 — A man suffered serious injuries after a suspected bear attack while searching for honey in the peat swamp forest area of Sungai Bari, near Kampung Bukit Putera, Chalok, yesterday.

The victim’s brother, Mohd Redzuan Ismail, 35, said that during the 2.30pm incident, his younger brother, Amirul Ismail, 27, sustained injuries to his right thigh and both arms, Malay news outlet Utusan Malaysia reported today.

"I only realised what had happened when I saw him approaching me covered in blood. Before that, I had heard the sound of a bear but didn’t expect it was fighting with Amirul.

"At the time of the incident, Amirul was walking in the area and didn’t notice the animal on a nearby tree. The bear jumped in front of him and attacked,” he said when met in Kampung Bukit Mak Som, Chalok, today.

He added that he, Amirul, and their brother-in-law, Zulkifli Abdul Rahman, 56, had been in the area since last Tuesday and were planning to return home yesterday afternoon.

He mentioned that this was the first time such an incident had occurred since they started searching for honey in 2010.

Previously, they had only spotted the animal from a distance or seen its footprints.

Meanwhile, Zulkifli said that after seeing Amirul’s severe condition, they immediately evacuated him from the location by boat and rushed him to Setiu Hospital.

Amirul is currently receiving treatment at Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital (HSNZ) in Kuala Terengganu due to his serious injuries.

Meanwhile, the Director of Terengganu’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan), Loo Kean Seong, said his department had not yet received a report on the incident.

"However, we advise those involved to come forward and file a report, and we will conduct an investigation,” he said.