The molar bear: Arctic giant gives close-up view of his sharp teeth as he inspects photographer's car

At first it may look like any normal soft, cuddly polar bear inquisitively peering through a car window in search of a snack.

But a split second later the furry stranger showed his darker, more fearsome side to a wildlife photographer who came face-to-face with the mighty bear in its natural habitat.

Photographer Tom Leeson captured the moment the bear put his huge white paws on his car window - before unleashing a mighty roar which left the driver scrabbling for the accelerator.

The hulking white bear had wandered over to Tom's pick-up truck on Barter Island, near Beaufort Sea on the northern coast of Alaska to let rip a huge roar which left the snapper and his driving shaking with fear.

'What are you doing here?': The innocent-looking bear peers through the window of photographer Tom's pick-up truck

But the fearsome beast soon shows his fearsome ride by roaring through towards the window of the car

The pair had watched two polar bears investigate a nearby whale carcass before curiously venturing over to their vehicle.

One of the majestic animals clambered onto the car's tailgate, while the other peered through the right passenger window on its back legs.

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Tom, 60, from Vancouver, in Washington state, said: 'The two bears came in together to investigate the whale carcasses.

'They were not particularly hungry and were far more curious about us and the pickup truck.

'Eventually one climbed up on the truck's tailgate while the other leaned up against the side.

'After looking at us in the cab of the truck the bear walked up to the passenger window where at first it just looked in, then it bounced with its front feet against the window glass and growled.

'A variety of thoughts raced through my mind. I remember thinking at the time that this must be how a seal feels.

'The window didn't seem thick enough and I thought that if the window broke my best bet would be to lie down behind the front seat or to grab my tripod and whack him on the nose with it.

'Then I thought 'why the hell hasn't he (the driver) started up the truck? It was a terribly exciting moment.'

The terrified pair escaped unscathed thanks to the driver revving the accelerator of their vehicle to frighten the bears away.