AN ILLEGAL hunter became the hunted after being mauled by an endangered Asiatic black bear.

The bear turned on villager Makhan Khan as he stalked the beast with his friends.

Mr Khan suffered multiple injuries but survived the attack in Kashmir, India.

The poacher was attacked when the bear he was hunting suddenly turned around and charged at him.

He fled in terror, but the bear gained ground and tore into him. The lucky villager was saved by friends who returned to the scene after fleeing.

The bears are an endangered species in Indian Kashmir but their numbers have reportedly increased in recent years as poachers have fled from regional warfare that has killed thousands of people since 1989.