BEIJING - A visitor at the Badaling Wildlife Park, where tigers fatally attacked a woman last year, was bitten by a bear when he rolled down his car window to feed the animal.

The incident last Friday (Aug 18) prompted the local authorities to order the park - which allows visitors to drive through with their own vehicles - to limit the number of cars, increase park surveillance and improve visitor safety awareness.

Local media reports said the man, surnamed Chen, had ignored park warnings and rolled down his car window to throw snacks at the bear.

He decided to try his luck after seeing other visitors do the same without incident.

But as the bear approached the car, Mr Chen tried to roll up the window, which malfunctioned and rolled down instead.

The animal then lunged in and bit Mr Chen's left shoulder. He suffered minor injuries.

Speaking to Beijing Evening News, Mr Chen admitted that he was at fault for opening the window, but criticised the response by the park's staff to the incident.

"At that time, I was in a lot of pain and fear and asked the staff what to do. They just told me to go to the hospital myself and I was shocked when I heard that," he said.

A spokesman for Badaling Wildlife Park said the incident arose due to visitors not following park rules that forbid them from feeding the animals. Signs are clearly displayed throughout the park.

The park also released CCTV footage that showed park rangers warning Mr Chen to shut his window prior to the attack.

In July last year, a woman was mauled to death by tigers at the park after trying to rescue her daughter, who had left the safety of their vehicle following an argument with her husband.

The daughter, surnamed Zhao, was dragged away by a tiger after alighting from the car. She claimed that she was feeling car sick and blamed park officials for being slow to respond.