Bear-y cute! Russian photographer captures wild animals as they search for salmon dinner

It does not get much cuter than this.

A Russian photographer has snapped incredible close-up images of wild – but endearing – bears as it searched for dinner in a lake.

Mike Korostelev, 36, from Moscow, captured the beautiful animal hunting for some tasty grub, especially salmon.

Travel company director Mike took the images in South-Kamchatka Federal Sanctuary in Russia last month.

He said: ‘I am an underwater photographer of wild animals, but sometimes – like at this moment – I use my camera above the water.

‘In the photos, the bears are just walking around the lake – they are searching for salmon as it is spawning season.

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‘I put the camera in their way, and I used a remote control for shooting.

‘My favourite photo is the one where a mother with a cub already walks away from the camera, and a second curious cub is looking at the camera.’

The images were taken remotely by Korostelev.

The wildlife preserve was designated a sanctuary in 1983.

The area covers more than 300,000 thousand hectares and bears are well-known for hunting in the Kuril Lake, located in the sanctuary.

The area, in the east of Russia, has become a tourist hot spot, and visitors – as well as photographers such as Korostelev – are able to watch bears hunt for salmon from close by.