A zoo guest named Naiphum Promratee was m@uled by a bear after he teased the animal with rice. 

The 36-year-old's life changed irrevocably when he visited a remote temple in rural Thailand to see a "buffalo bear" living in a small enclosure with a community of monks. 

Naiphum saw the animal, weighing 250kg, stuck in a small space for feeding - and decided to taunt it by dangling bowls of rice overhead. 

But the bear stood on its hind legs and dragged him down. 

In an instant, Naiphum was pulled back into the enclosure, knocked unconscious and m@uled. His flesh was torn from his chest by the animal. 

Horrifying footage showed spectators trying in vain to scare away the bear as he mauled Naiphum. 

His friends hit the bear with poles and threw cold water at it, to no avail. 

The enraged animal continued to bite and scratch Promratee for almost a minute before it started dragging him across the dusty enclosure.  

One of Naiphum's group ran into the enclosure and battered the bear in its cage with a pole while friends focused on a rescue. 

Emergency services arrived just after 11am local time and rushed the bloodied man to hospital, where he is now recovering and able to talk. 

Dr. Kobchai Jirachanchai, Deputy Director of Phetchabun Hospital Medical Division, said Bing had inflicted deep wounds on Naiphum's back and sides. 

He said: "There were a lot of bite and nail wounds. In addition, there was a leak in the lung and expected to be a small pierce wound in the wound. 

"The patient also has acute renal failure. It is not dangerous. Recent symptoms have improve but we will watch closely for the next 48 hours. 

"The patient can talk and interact with visitors."