Overview
- Investigators say at least six people were killed by bear attacks in Krasnoyarsk and nearby areas within a month, prompting the criminal probe.
- The prosecutor's office opened the negligence investigation on Wednesday after regional investigators said local authorities failed to act on warnings to keep predators away from settlements.
- Irkutsk's governor declared a state of emergency and officials reported more than 1,500 recent bear sightings near populated areas, with residents warned to avoid forests.
- Local officials and videos describe towns such as Abasa as surrounded by bears, with animals seen swimming across rivers and crossing streets at close range.
- The federal Environment Ministry says Russia's bear population has risen from about 130,000 in 1990 to nearly 308,000, and officials blame factors such as food shortages, illegal dumps, and feeding for driving bears into villages.