61-year-old says he punched aggressive bear in the face and survived

A Canadian former boxer who was walking his dog Sunday was confronted by a 300-pound black bear protecting its cub -- and in a daring move, he said he punched the bear in the snout when it got aggressive.

Lucky for him, he survived.

Rick Nelson, 61, is also a former bear hunter, so he knew what he was doing when he came across the animal in Sudbury, Ontario. He said most bears are right-handed, so he knew to expect a stronger blow if the animal swung from the right. When the bear stood up on its hind legs, he saw his opening.

“I had the perfect shot to take,” he told CBC.ca. “I did an underhand and hit it right in the snout.”

For a moment, the bear seemed to consider fighting back, but with a bloody snout, it opted to walk away with the cub.

“I’m really glad that the bear walked away, and I’m really glad I did, too,” Nelson said.

Nelson reportedly suffered cuts to his face and shoulder.