Hiker plunges 2,600-feet to death after giant bear shoves him off ravine in holiday hotspot

A hiker plummeted to his death after a brown bear knocked him down a 2,600ft ravine in Greece this week.

Veteran rambler Christos Stavrianidis was found at the bottom of the bottom of the ravine and rushed to Kavala hospital in Kavala, Central Macedonia, where he was pronounced dead.

He and another experienced hiker Dimitris Kioroglou, were heading in to the forest to see the 70-year-old remains of a downed Greek warplane on Monday.

Speaking to NewsIT, Dimitris said: "I suddenly saw a bear which attacked me. My dog delayed it for a few seconds. I used pepper spray, and it headed to where my friend was and knocked him into the ravine."

He also told Greece's national broadcaster, TV ERT that Christos had run out of bear spray when he was approached by the "very big bear". "I've never seen such speed and such strength before," he added.

A spokesman for Greek wildlife organisation Arcturos said the bear was displaying "defensive behaviour" rather than that of "attack". "The bear is trying to push back what it sees as a threat," he told TV ERT.

The pair were heading out to visit a warplane that Christos had discovered last year. They were trying to find an accessible route so more people could see it.

Speaking to a journalist last year, he said: "It's a beautiful discovery that deserves to be viewed on location ... the fuselage is nearly intact. It's a treasure of nature and should be left [in the forest]."

Under Greek law, brown bears are protected and can be found in western Rhodopes and Northern and Central Pindos. There are thought to be around 450 of the creatures in Greece.

In January, a father and son died after a terrifying bear attack in a forest in India. The duo had ventured into the area to gather wood when they were viciously attacked by an enraged sloth bear in the Kanker area of Chhattisgarh. The victims, Suklal Darro, 45, and Ajju Kureti, 22, tragically died as a result of the attack.

Despite efforts to save them, Darro succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital, while Kureti passed away on the spot. Reports indicate that a forest officer also sustained injuries while attempting to rescue Darro and Kureti from the bear's clutches.

The bear, in a fit of rage, held the officer in its arms and tried to crush him. "Don't run away," a man in the background can be heard saying to the guard moments before bear mauled him. The bear was captured on camera charging into the woods to attack three people.