Woman 'buried alive' by bear so it could eat her later

A woman is lucky to be alive after a bear attacked her before partially burying her to eat later on.

It is believed the bear likely thought it had killed Natalya Pasternak, 55, and wanted to save her for its next meal.

The mum-of-two was collecting birch sap in a forest near Tynda the Amur region with a friend when the attack took place. Her dog had started barking at the bear, but there was no time for Natalya to escape.

Her friend ran away to raise the alarm and returned with emergency services.

Natalya was found alive and conscious after rescuers saw her arm poking out from under a pile of foliage

According to the Express, the first thing she said was: "Have you killed the bear?"

Rescuers were joined by a wildlife protection specialist, but the four-year-old female bear reportedly became aggressive and it was shot dead.

According to the Siberian Times, Natalya was in deep shock and suffered severe injuries to her head and thigh.

A picture taken from the scene showed Natalya covered in blood with claw marks to her body.

Doctors said she was in a "severe" condition, and her two adult children are with her at the hospital in Tynda.