Woman Feared To Be Eaten Alive By Bears After Leaving Wedding Ceremony In Forest

A woman, who stormed off from a wedding ceremony in a forest in Russia, is feared to have been eaten alive by a pack of brown bears.

According to officials, the victim has been identified as 24-year-old Yana Balobanova. She is believed to have left the wedding after she got into a fight with another guest. The woman apparently got lost in the wooded area of Sverdlovsk and made several emergency calls, News Chant reported. Rescuers launched a search for the woman, but were unable to find her despite using sniffer canines.

"It is now not doable to hope that the woman will likely be discovered alive," wildlife inspector Andrei Sakulin told News Chant, adding there have been footprints of a mother bear and cubs.

"If an individual by chance finds themselves between a bear and her cubs, the predator can assault instantly and harshly, without growls and warnings," he said, adding: "Bears assault with lightning velocity, up to 60kph (37mph) – so it is inconceivable to run away. At this time of year male bears additionally behave aggressively."

Local media reports said it was likely the bears buried her remains after eating her alive.

The victim's father also told local media it was "possible a bear got her" and she had no experience of surviving alone in the forest, News 24 reported [Google Translate].

"We came across an old man picking berries in the woods. He remembered her because he was surprised to see a young woman all alone. Searcher dogs picked up her scent, but it hadn't led to her yet," Natalia Volkova, head of the Proriv volunteer center, who were helping in the search, reportedly said.

Last month, a Russian couple had the worst time of their lives after they were forced to spend 10 days without food as they continued clinging to trees to avoid being a bear's meal. The duo's Mitsubishi Pajero got stuck in a deep puddle in the Kamchatka region. While they were on their way to the base camp, the couple got followed by a bear. They tried to scare the animal away but failed, News 18 reported at the time.