Trainee ranger gnawed to death by brown bear had no time to use his walkie-talkie or gun

The graduate of Irkutsk Agrarian University was working for a year in the reserve on the 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 a brown bear after going close to to a spot where the predator had dug its salmon prey. 

There were signs of a skirmish and traces of gnawing on the man’s body. 

Without informing his fellow rangers he left the Ozerny base, and went back alone to retrieve his bagpack

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.