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Bear-proof suit man to try again
A Canadian inventor says his latest bear-proof suit will work even though his last attempt failed.
Troy Hurtubise has built six armoured suits but none was strong enough to survive the onslaught of a 93-stone Kodiak.
He thinks the seventh version will succeed and is hoping to test it for himself.
The new suit is built from stainless steel and titanium and has shock absorbers and air bags.
An earlier version was torn apart in an unmanned test.
The bear's owner refused to let the inventor wear it in the pen in case he was hurt.
Mr Hurtubise said: "He believed the Mark VI wouldn't hold up to the enormous pressure the bear would have exerted and that he would have just rippedthrough the chain mail. So I went back home determined to build a new suit that would be Kodiak-proof."
He hopes the Ursus Mark VII will allow him to take on the three metre tall animal later this year.
Canada.com reports that apart from the safety devices the suit also has a built-in video screen, a cooling system and swiveled joints.
Mr Hurtubise hopes it can be used to study bears close-up without there being any risk to the humans involved.
Sounds like a tasty tinned snack to take back to the den for that first meal after the long sleep.
Bear-proof suit man to try again
A Canadian inventor says his latest bear-proof suit will work even though his last attempt failed.
Troy Hurtubise has built six armoured suits but none was strong enough to survive the onslaught of a 93-stone Kodiak.
He thinks the seventh version will succeed and is hoping to test it for himself.
The new suit is built from stainless steel and titanium and has shock absorbers and air bags.
An earlier version was torn apart in an unmanned test.
The bear's owner refused to let the inventor wear it in the pen in case he was hurt.
Mr Hurtubise said: "He believed the Mark VI wouldn't hold up to the enormous pressure the bear would have exerted and that he would have just rippedthrough the chain mail. So I went back home determined to build a new suit that would be Kodiak-proof."
He hopes the Ursus Mark VII will allow him to take on the three metre tall animal later this year.
Canada.com reports that apart from the safety devices the suit also has a built-in video screen, a cooling system and swiveled joints.
Mr Hurtubise hopes it can be used to study bears close-up without there being any risk to the humans involved.
Sounds like a tasty tinned snack to take back to the den for that first meal after the long sleep.
