Russia has a bear problem — attacks are reported almost daily. Officials are killing ‘potentially conflict-prone’ bears and want greater powers to drastically reduce their population.
Reports of brown bear attacks on people have poured in almost daily from across Russia since late summer 2026. Here are just a few fatal cases from the past three weeks:
Throughout Russia, reports of brown bear attacks on people have surfaced almost daily since late summer 2021. In the past three weeks alone, there have been several fatal cases, including the death of a 29-year-old tourist in Kamchatka Krai after a bear dragged her into the forest from her tent. Two women from the Yeniseysky district in Krasnoyarsk Krai went missing while picking mushrooms and were found dead with signs of a bear attack.
A man in the Zakamensky district of Buryatia was attacked by a bear while moving his cows, and his wife managed to escape and call for help, but the man died from his injuries.
Authorities attribute the bears' increasing presence near populated areas to factors such as seasonal activity, a shortage of natural food sources, easy access to food waste, and a growing bear population. However, the scientific validity of these explanations is unclear. Some experts, like wildlife biologist Vladimir Gordienko, suggest that wildfires in Krasnoyarsk Krai are pushing bears into other regions.
Wildlife biologist Nikolai Maltsev stated that the situation is "unusual," with bear-erratic behavior being recorded simultaneously across many territories.
Kamchatka Krai has declared a state of heightened alert in several districts due to bears approaching populated areas and attacking people. Curfews have been imposed, school schedules changed, and access restrictions introduced at national parks. Authorities have also been shooting bears that threaten people. In the Republic of Altai, over 50 bears have been killed since the tourist attack, with more than 157 additional bears authorized for lethal control.
Krasnoyarsk Krai has reported killing over 180 "potentially conflict-prone" bears, and the Magadan region governor has called for changing bear population control rules, citing the need to address the issue before more people are killed or injured.
Written by urgent.news from Meduza (English)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
