Bear grabs and brutally mauls tourist who dangled food into its enclosure in Thailand

Tourist left bloodied and unconscious after teasing a bear with food at Thai temple

Picture: (AFP/Getty / Jean Christophe Verhaegen)

A man was reportedly brutally mauled after teasing a bear by dangling a bowl of rice into its enclosure.

Naiphum Promratee hung the food near the bear's jaws at the Wat Luang Phor Lamai temple in Thailand, only for it to rear up, grab him and pull him into its pen.

It scratched and bit the 36-year-old for almost a minute before dragging him across the ground, according to the MailOnline.

Promratee’s friends tried to distract the enraged animal by throwing cold water and poles at it, but to no avail, the newspaper reported.

One friend eventually ran into the enclosure and used a pole to get the bear into a cage, while the unconscious Promratee was rescued.

He is now recovering in hospital.

Monks at the temple also look after around two dozen wild boars, and appeal to the public for donations to help feed them.

Visitors are allowed to feed the bear over the enclosure wall.

It’s understood Mr Promratee was visiting the animals because he had heard about the conditions they were living in.