25 children in remote summer camp held hostage by hungry bear

Concern is growing for the children at the camp after the bear attacked a child's rucksack and began glaring inside windows of the wooden cabins where the children sleep. 

Wildlife officials say the camp staff are to blame for starting to feed the bear when it was a cub.

'At first the children and their supervisors lured a 'teenage' bear, and now, when he's grown up really fast and become arrogant, they don't know what to do,' said one report. 

'They bribe him with food, afraid he will otherwise attack someone.'

Currently 25 children are marooned at the summer camp is in the Siberian taiga close to the border of Kemerovo and Khakassia. 

It comprises  23 cabins, a kitchen and a steam sauna.

Wildlife officials say the camp staff are to blame for starting to feed the bear

A witness said: 'A bear cub came, and the tourists threw him some bread - and later even put a bowl where they started leaving food such as porridge,  bread and sausage leftovers, or milk.

'They got a sort of pet and started observing him.

'The bear particularly liked milk, to be more precise, prostokvasha (fermented milk product, similar to unsweetened yoghurt).

'As soon as milk soured, he was right next to it.' 

Wildlife rangers are planning to put the two year old bear to sleep and move it to a location deeper in the taiga. 

Yulia Bredikhina, spokeswoman for Khakassia's state committee for protection of the wildlife and environment, said: 'There are plenty of bear footprints in the camp and claw marks on windows.

'Our employees explained once again that it is irresponsible to feed bears. Eventually the bear might attack someone and actually get killed.

'People should behave in a civilised manner in the taiga.' 

Rangers are planning to put the two year old bear to sleep and move it to a location deeper in the taiga

Wildlife specialist Vladimir Zvantsev expressed fears over the situation.

'Putting bear to sleep seems dubious,' he said. 'First of all, it's hard to estimate the bear's weight by just looking at him, and the amount of sleeping medicine is  calculated based on weight.

'Second, shooting from a special syringe is done from a very short distance.

'That's how animals are put to sleep in small spaces such as zoos or breeding stations. 

'It is hard to do it in the wild.

'If one shoots from a 15-20-metre distance, the bear won't fall asleep instantly, he'll only get angry.

'Wild animals should not be fed under any circumstances. Younger bears, aged 1.5-2 years are the biggest danger in this sense. Older bears are afraid of humans.

'This cub has a chance to in the wild, but people should stop feeding him - and get a hunting dog in the camp.'