Heartbreaking footage shows a crow cemented to death by an ash fall from a major Russian volcanic eruption, like a scene from Pompeii.
Residents were ordered to stay inside after this week’s dramatic eruption of Shiveluch volcano in the Kamchatka peninsula.
Animal claw prints can be seen in the snow where the crow perished after a deadly volcanic cloud lifter 12 miles into the sky on Wednesday, according to reports.
With no means of escaping, the crow perished still standing and was fossilised by the ash cloud.
The eerie scene is reminiscent of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii which was buried under meters of ash after the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD.
A video shows the bird amid blackened snow on a path in a village in Ust-Kamchatsky region close to the active volcano.
"The bird seemed to be cemented - it died due to stiffness of movements," the caption read.
Separate footage showed volcanologists taking over under their upturned snowmobiles as molten ash including rocks rained down on them from the volcanic cloud.
Residents were ordered to remain inside in the aftermath of the horror.
The eruption has caused significant interference with aviation, in Alaska and Canada as well as eastern Russia.
Authorities are continuing to monitor the movement of the ash cloud.
One of the Kamchatka Peninsula's most active volcanoes, Shiveluch started erupting early Tuesday, spewing ash more than 300 miles northwest.
Some 960 cubic metres of volcanic ash were removed from the settlement of Klyuchi, some 31 miles from the volcano.
It was the largest fallout in 60 years.
The eruption is continuing but - for now - at a lesser scale. Meanwhile there are warnings other animals will be impacted by the eruption.
Animal ecology expert Alexander Valentsev said the large brown bear population of Kamchatka would likely cope with the fallout since most were still hibernating and they would wait for the new green shoots to come through, still some weeks away.
Rodents including mice, voles, lemmings, and shrews would have problems once they emerged above ground, he forecast.
“Sable, hares, foxes, wolverines, lynx, elk - these animals will migrate from those territories that were heavily covered with ash,” he said.
“And from the experience of other eruptions that led to strong ash falls, I can say that the migration has already begun.
“The animals leave. I am sure that marmots that live in the foothills will die.”
