A black bear mauled a husband to death in front of his wife before throwing him down a cliff in India.

The 140kg wild animal spotted Mohd Cheriya, 28, while he was grazing his cows in the woodlands and attacked him in Kishtwar district on July 30.

The burly bear dragged the man to the forest, and he screamed for help, which his wife heard. However, the woman could only watch from a safe distance as the animal pounced on her husband with its paws.

It then hurled Mohd to the ravine before fleeing into the forest as officers retrieved the man's body and searched for the bear.

Footage shows villagers with local officers searching for Mohd on the cliff. They rushed him to a clinic, but he died before they could transfer him to a hospital.

Village chief Khursheed Ahmad Lone said: 'We had a word with the administration, and hopefully, we won't see such tragic incidents again.

'The deceased man belongs to a poor family, and his family should receive some compensation so that they and the widow can take care of their children.'

Mohd's children are still young, and their neighbours appealed for help from the government for support.

Meanwhile, a team of wildlife officers were deployed in the area to find the bear and keep it from returning to the village.