A 25-year-old visitor has been seriously injured after climbing into a bear enclosure at the Bern Zoo in Switzerland.

The man, who is believed to be mentally ill, climbed into the enclosure on Monday afternoon (23 November) during opening hours and was attacked by one of the bears – a four-year old European brown called Finn.

The man received serious but non-life threatening injuries in the attack.

Security guards were forced to shoot the bear repeatedly to free the man.

According to the zoo vet it is possible that the animal, though still alive, will have to be put down due to the injuries it suffered from the bullets.