Incredible moment a bear is sent flying after it is hit by a car

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Dramatic video footage captures the moment a bear is sent flying into the air after being hit by a car - before walking away apparently unharmed.

The footage, which was taken from inside the vehicle as it was driven along a highway, believed to be in Russia, shows the animal walking across the road before being hit.

After smashing violently onto the car's bonnet, the bear is sent rolling into dirt by the side of the road - but simply rights itself and scampers off into the forest.

The video, captured and uploaded by YouTube user Stanislav SS, has become an internet hit.

It is unclear exactly where the collision took place, but bears, particularly brown bears, are found across Russia.

Many Russian drivers attach cameras to their dashboards to record accidents. The practice is thought to be influenced by a lack of public confidence in the country's traffic police.

Driving in Russia is relatively dangerous, with 200,000 traffic accidents in 2011 alone, according to the Business Insider.

Adult brown bears generally weigh between 220 and 1,400lb and are covered in a thick layer of muscle and fat.

East Siberian brown bears are usually darker with a proportionately larger skull than other varieties.

Bears have played a key role in Russian culture and folklore for centuries - and have been used at times as a symbol of the Russian state.