Nabakishore Nayak, 54, was mauled to death by a bear while picking a special flower used to make liquor, and two other men died going to his rescue.

Nayak’s distraught sons, who witnessed the attack, said the bear pounced from behind, and their father was not carrying a weapon.

An upsetting video shows Nayak attempting to fight off the animal, in Khadiadhia in the Keonjhar district in Orissa in India.

Furious locals later hunted down the bear and beat it to death.

One local said: “The rescue mission left his sons severely injured while the other men were mauled to death by the bear.

“His sons are alive and in a serious condition recuperating from the injury at a local hospital.

“The fear in the villagers has now subsided after the bear was killed.

“The forest officials have issued a warning to the villagers to avoid going out at night anywhere nearby the area as it is frequented by elephants and bears.”