A Florida man was mauled in the face by a bear while letting his dog out

A Florida man was mauled by a bear while letting his dog out earlier his week, resulting in 41 stitches in his face.

Around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday night, Naples resident Andrew Meunier's dog ran scared back toward his house after a bear began chasing it. The bear then took a swipe at Meunier's face and chest, according to WBBH.

Meunier, who later claimed the bear was one of three that were all roughly 5 feet in height,  was rushed to the hospital where he underwent four hours of surgery, reports the station.

This is the first reported bear attack in South Florida history.

Although there is no concrete documentation on how many bear attacks happen per year, since 2000 there have been 27 fatal attacks in the U.S., according to KTUU. This leaves an average of less than two per year.

Florida Fish and Wildlife and Conservation officials said they will start setting traps and searching for bears in the Naples area.