© Kronotsky Nature ReserveVadim Klabukov, 23, was ambushed by two bears that had earlier killed another bear and dug the prey into the ground along with some salmon.
The graduate of Irkutsk Agrarian University was ripped and gnawed to death by the pair of brown bears on Kamchatka peninsula in the far east of Russia.
He had been with a group of tourists at a spot where red salmon spawn - and left his backpack.
Without informing his fellow rangers he left the Ozerny base and went back alone to retrieve it - but was ambushed by two bears that had earlier killed another bear and dug the prey into the ground along with some salmon.
Klabukov unwittingly went close to the 'cannibal bears'' food stash and was immediately attacked without time to use his gun or after going close to to a spot where the predator had dug its salmon prey. He died on the spot.
His gnawed bones were found at the site where there were signs of a skirmish.
Vadim Klabukov
Earlier the nature reserve had given scant details suggesting the trainee ranger was killed by one bear.
Local wildlife chief Vladimir Gordienko said: 'The situation was aggravated by the fact that the animals were near their prey - another dead bear, and, apparently, protected their food.
'This is a rare case when, with an abundance of feed, in this case fish and bear carcass, bears treat people as prey.'
Nature Reserve spokeswoman Maria Vorontova said Klabukov, from the Buryatia Republic, had a gun, knife and a walkie-talkie with him but had no time to use any of them.
'Vadim got a job in the nature reserve this summer, as soon as he graduated from Irkutsk Agrarian University,' she said.
'On Saturday, 18 August, he left the Ozerny area without saying a word to his colleagues and bosses.'
The reserve offered its condolences to his family and friends, but stressed that he died because he did not comply with safety regulations.
The area is dangerous because bears feed here and attack if they think their prey is at risk.
The Investigative Committee has launched a preliminary check into his death.
Reader Comments
Story doesn't say what sort of gun he had, but even a 9mm or a .38 would be enough to cause enough pain to a bear to make it think twice about keeping up the attack. Obviously things went very wrong, but why was the gun no help?