People strike the animals in the eardrum to______.

How to survive wild animal attacks? You may have heard early this week about an Australian man who survived a crocodile attack by poking it in the eye. But is that the best way to deal with such an enraged and dangerous creature?
    Going for the eyes is like the number one way to try to survive this. Around the eyes is also the ear right behind the eye.(23)And so if you miss the eye, there is a chance you can cause them some pain by hitting them and striking them in the eardrum.
    Now, it’s interesting. So it’s not a business of kind of like proving you are more powerful than them.(24)It’s when they feel a danger to them. That’s when they withdraw. Does that also apply to, I don’t know, a bear or a snake or other wild animal attacks?