The new internet sensation - the lionhearted cat who took on a marauding bear

As far as David v Goliath clashes go, it's difficult to beat this one.

This clash between a lion-hearted cat and a marauding brown bear is the latest internet sensation, clocking up 21,000 hits within hours on YouTube.

In one corner is Mimine, the territorial house cat who won't let a creature probably 50 times its size push her around in her own back yard.
In the opposite corner, is the uninvited brown bear who has spotted a bag of rubbish on the doorstep of a log cabin in the woods near Quebec in Canada.

And In the audience is a young mother and her child who expertly film the action from inside the cabin as it unfolds before them.

The sequence begins with the inquisitive bear gingerly mounting the steps up to the porch, grabbing the rubbish bag in its jaws and then nonchalently wandering back towards the woods.
Inside the mother can be heard banging on the door frantically trying to ward off the bear but to no avail.

Then whoosh! Out of the corner of the frame the feline policeman flys across towards the intruder, who drops the rubbish bag in shock.
What follows is a classic standoff between the dumbstruck bear and the increasingly aggressive cat.

Mimine arches her back as the bear nervously starts to sidestep the valiant defender and grab the rubbish back.
Then claws outstretched, Mimine lunges at the bear, who darts back in shock.

Only at this point does the bear appear to realise he has a considerable size advantage, as he ignores the threat of his tabby foe and ever so slowly grabs the rubbish back and... with extreme caution... heads back to the woods.



Lunch time: The bear gingerly makes his way up the steps to the log cabin

Scram! Mimine the cat bolts out to confront the intruder

Seconds out: Mimine arches her back before launching a quick left-hook, right-hook combo

Game's up: The bear finally grabs back ther rubbish before heading off to the woods