A huge wolf has been shot dead in Russia amid growing concerns about packs terrorising villages.

Locals in the Blagoveshchensky District in southwestern Republic of Bashkortostan have reportedly been afraid to leave their homes alone or let their children out to play as hungry packs have encroached on communities.

A huge wolf has been shot dead in Russia. Credit: Newsflash

The gigantic wolf pictured was spotted near a cemetery and a man originally from the village of Alexandrovka decided to shoot it dead, deeming it an even greater threat due to its size.

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Local media reports that over the course of the past few months, more and more wolves have been seen in the district and within closer proximity to settlements.

A pack of wolves recently killed three dogs in the area, while in Baleysky District a pack killed more than twenty animals, including sheep, cows and horses.

Last year, a dad in Canada was hailed a hero after he defended his family from a wolf attack during a camping trip.

Matt Rispoli was with his wife and children in Banff National Park, Alberta, when a wolf came and attacked their site.

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Matt Rispoli was hailed a hero after he defended his family from a wolf attack. Credit: Facebook/Elisa Rispoli

His wife, Elisa, wrote in a Facebook post praising Matt's bravery: "It was like something out of a horror movie.

"Matt literally threw his body in front of me and the boys, and fought the wolf as it ripped apart our tent and his arms and hands.

"We were screaming for help as he was fighting it and trying to save us, for what felt like an eternity (but I think was anywhere from 1-3 minutes).

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"I laid my body on top of the kids and Matt pinned the wolf to the ground and held open its jaw with his hands, and the wolf started to drag Matt away, while I was pulling on his legs trying to get him back. I cannot and don't think I'll ever be able to properly describe the terror."

Fortunately, Matt wasn't the only heroic father in the vicinity; a man called Russ Fee who was camping with his family in a nearby tent also ran over to help after hearing the Rispolis screaming for help.

Referring to him as a 'guardian angel', Elisa explained in her post how Russ ran over and 'kicked the wolf' until it finally let go of Matt.