• Sweden edition
Society

Peeing Swede filmed in shock bear encounter

Published: 12 Jun 12 12:35 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/41394/20120612/

A half-naked 61-year-old Swedish man who was relieving himself in the woods got quite a start when a rampaging bear chasing an elk knocked him down – all as his wife recorded the unlikely chain of events with an iPad.

Last Sunday, Ola Åkesson left his normally tranquil summer cabin in the Ängraån nature reserve in northerneastern Sweden to take what he referred to as his “night time piss”.

Looking up as he heeded nature's call, Åkesson saw a baby elk on the other side of the stream.

“I called to my wife to get out the iPad to film the elk, when all of a sudden she screamed that there was a bear behind me,” Åkesson told The Local.

“I turned around and there was a huge bear right beside me – maybe half a metre away, I could have reached out and touched it – but I didn’t even have time to think.”

As the bear came charging onto the scene, Åkesson fell to the ground, all the while with his wife screaming in the background while filming the commotion.



“Look out Ola – a bear is coming!” screamed Åkesson’s wife in the video, followed by stream of well-known Swedish swear words.

“Are you stupid? Run, for god’s sake!”

The bear, which Åkesson believes was hunting the little elk, then plowed onto the waterside deck in a frenzy, knocking a bird-shaped ornament into the water, before then vanishing back into the woods.

Meanwhile, a half-naked Åkesson stumbled back up to the house in his underwear.

It remains unclear whether the bear was after the elk, or a taste of Åkesson's own Swedish meatballs, yet the Swede says he doesn’t care.

He’s just happy to be alive to tell the tale.

When asked how it felt to shoot to fame in his underwear, the 61-year-old Åkesson laughed.

“Ah, that’s no problem for me at all, I’m just glad the whole thing was caught on camera otherwise no one would believe it,” he chuckled.

As for the couple, Åkesson told The Local that life will continue as normal, adding that there weren’t even any plans to add an indoor toilet to the country house in order to ensure he and has wife avoid any future unexpected run ins with wild animals.

“This was just a one in a million chance; we doubt it will ever happen again,” he said.

Oliver Gee
Follow Oliver on Twitter here

What do you think? Leave your comment below.

Your comments about this article:

The comments below have not been moderated in advance and are not produced by The Local unless clearly stated. Readers are responsible for the content of their own comments. Comments that breach our terms and conditions will be removed.

13:46 June 12, 2012 by Samuel Nemalladinne
can anyone translate word by word whats going on in the video if you dont mind, all i could understand were the words 'titta', 'herre gud' and 'fan' :)
14:42 June 12, 2012 by philster61
Guess the bear didn't like that fact that somebody else was marking out its own territory......
15:34 June 12, 2012 by Emerentia
I tried to post a translation but it said I couldn't, it was something about profanity.
22:30 June 12, 2012 by dizzymoe33
I am just laughing at the fact that you Swedes sure do love peeing outside a lot it seems to be a National pastime!!! :)
23:24 June 12, 2012 by Emerentia
I toned down the swearing a bit, and try to post a translation again:

Reporter: This couple was in for a big surprise outside of their summer cottage on sunday night, Olov Håkansson was answering a call of nature outside when he suddenly got a surprise visit. Maud Ljungberg caught in on tape.

Maud: Look Ola! A bear is coming! LOOK OUT!!! RUN!!! Damn it, old sod! Get up here, damn you! Are you stupid?! Run, for god's sake! A damn bear was coming!

Ola: I saw that...

Maud: Oh my god! Damn... What the h-ll is going on... What the h-ll... He was chasing the calf... Look the calf is drown... Oh dear, were did the bear go...and you fell...

Reporter: It was a elk calf that was the real focus of the video, Olov saw it by the water, just when he had finished peeing, and called for Maud to get the camera. It was then the bear, who had felt the scent of the elk made his unexpected entry and stole the show.
01:48 June 13, 2012 by Coalbanks
Nature in the raw! Yahoo! The bear wouldn't have been bothered by a man if it had encountered one before. Probably a young bear as it seemed confused when it should have run down the elk calf fairly easily in a short run.
02:42 June 13, 2012 by blue2012
Ah, country life, you will never know what is going to happen.

Nature is full of surprises.
08:59 June 13, 2012 by scandiland
Maud's colourful language is the best thing I've seen/heard on the Local...
23:30 June 13, 2012 by dizzymoe33
@#6 thank you for the translation it is still pretty funny I can't believe the guy wasn't mauled by the bear!!
14:53 June 14, 2012 by shamann
poor man he was lucky that the bear was young otherwise i think he would have been attacked by the bear anw now he's got a story to tell to he's grandkids
ADD YOUR COMMENT   (YOU MUST LOG IN OR REGISTER TO MAKE A COMMENT)
Today's headlines
Swedish addicts could get glass 'free zone'

Swedish addicts could get glass 'free zone'

Politicians in the small Swedish town of Falköping want to give alcoholics and drug users a glass-encased zone in the middle of a central square, saying it would lessen public disturbances and allow "the down and out" to socialize. READ () »

EU probes SAS airline over state aid

EU probes SAS airline over state aid

The European Commission opened an in-depth probe on Wednesday to see if state aid given to Scandinavian Airlines by Sweden and Denmark conformed to EU rules. READ () »

Fashion Fix
Jeepers creepers, your shoes hurt my peepers

Jeepers creepers, your shoes hurt my peepers

In The Local's new Fashion Fix column on Swedish trends, Englishwoman Victoria Hussey gets up close and personal with shoes - namely "brothel creepers" from WWII that have been making a steady return to Stockholm pavements. READ () »

Frozen raspberries could spread vomiting bug

Frozen raspberries could spread vomiting bug

Imported frozen raspberries should be boiled before eaten according to new advice from Sweden's National Food Agency, which warns that the berries may carry the novo virus that is more known for causing winter vomiting disease. READ () »

Body of lonely Swedish patient forgotten for days

Body of lonely Swedish patient forgotten for days

A deceased patient who had no relatives was left in a room for five days at the Örebro University Hospital before staff realized the body was still there. READ () »

Scab row as students disrupt bus strike

Scab row as students disrupt bus strike

Stockholm bus traffic was at a standstill Wednesday as drivers launched a major strike at midnight, but a group of Conservative youths disrupted the action by replacing a bus route between two of the city's major hospitals. READ () »

Tax bill for politician's ties to far-right site

Tax bill for politician's ties to far-right site

Sweden Democrat MP Kent Ekeroth has to pay tax for money sent to his bank account as donations to two far-right websites that he claims to have nothing to do with editorially. READ () »

The Local List
Top ten ways you know you've turned Swedish

Top ten ways you know you've turned Swedish

For some foreigners living in Sweden, a natural "inner Swede" can develop that often doesn't show its face until you're back home again. The Local's Patrick Reilly lists the top ten ways this inner-Swede can change your life. READ () »

More Society

 

RECEIVE OUR NEWSLETTER AND ALERTS
 

 

Highlights
Elodie Pradet/The Local Elodie Pradet WikiCommons Private/Scanpix Scanpix fastighetsbyrån.se Elodie Pradet/The Local File photo: AP File photo: Scanpix Private Göran Höglund/Flickr Finest.se Scanpix Ann Törnkvist Stefan Larsson Private DoToday Scanpix, C More The Local Finest.se Facebook The Local Scanpix Ann Törnkvist/The Local Henrik Montgomery/Scanpix CDC/Wikipedia (File) kristja/sxc.hu (File) Fastighetsbyrån Swedish expats use book club to survive London Finest.se Sergei Grits Silence/WikiCommons Oliver Gee Oliver Gee Scanpix veidekke/Flickr Eddie Gee David V. Hughes

 

Latest news from The Local in Germany

More news from Germany at thelocal.de

Latest news from The Local in France

More news from France at thelocal.fr

Latest news from The Local in Norway

More news from Norway at thelocal.no

Latest news from The Local in Switzerland

More news from Switzerland at thelocal.ch

Search News


Register

Register now for:
> Free use of noticeboard
> Special discounts
> Weekly news roundup
> Unlimited use of discuss

REGISTER FOR FREE »


Blog Update: Stripes News

13 June 22:03

This weeks results..week 24/25 »

"A weekend full of surprises and LFC football. Results look like this: Div 5 Men won 4-2, K1 lost 5-0, K2 won 2-1, Vets lost 3-2, R1 lost 4-1. Korpen Ladies play Monday night and on the 26th the Div5 Men close the first half season with the last match before the summer kicks in. /LFC " READ »

The Local's new Marketplace
Find products and services that are specifically focused on English speakers living in Sweden!
FULL DETAILS
Counseling in English
Individuals & Couples - Stockholm Beth Rogerson PhD - Clinical, Marriage & Family Therapist
Click or call 08-5580 1266 now
Trade binary options
Create an account with Banc De Binary, the world’s most reputable binary options firm, and start cashing in today! You can start by practicing with our free $50,000 demo account.
www.bbinary.com
Therapy in English
Expat counsellor & talk therapist offers counselling for stress, relationship issues, sexuality, culture adjustment & life coaching. Private & confidential. Stockholm or Skype. Contact me today! 08-559 22 636 or
CLICK HERE