Russia's brown bear population has more than doubled to over 300,000
State media reports 22 or more people dead since spring.
Reuters World News · France unrest, Canada military base, Pope Leo and Siberian bearsRussia now has over 300,000 brown bears, over twice the level of three decades earlier.
The boom has come with deaths. State media reports put the toll at 22 or more dead since spring. Several deaths happened around Krasnoyarsk, prompting nearby hunters to decide to respond.
Mikhail Kondakov, one of the local hunters, was shown squatting in the meadow with his gun in his arms while touching the fur of the dead animal.
Specialists quoted by Russian press link it to a dry, early spring that left fewer berries for bears to eat, forcing them to range farther for food.
Questions people ask
How dangerous is a brown bear to a person?
Brown bears are dangerous, especially when surprised, hungry, or guarding cubs. They are large, strong predators that can run fast despite their size. Fatal attacks remain rare compared with how often people and bears share the same woods.
Why would the bear population grow so much?
Numbers have recovered in many places after hunting limits, protection, and changes in forest management. Russia has vast forests and few natural predators for adult bears, so when food is available, cubs survive at high rates. A bad berry year can then push more hungry bears toward villages and trails.
What should you do if you meet a bear?
Wildlife agencies such as the U.S. National Park Service advise staying calm, not running, and backing away slowly while speaking in a low voice. They also advise making yourself look large, keeping food sealed and away from camp, and carrying bear spray where it is sold. They warn never to approach a bear or its cubs.