Six Killed in Bear Attacks in Siberia

Overview

• At least six people have been killed in attacks in Krasnoyarsk over the past month, the latest a 39-year-old forest worker who was attacked on Wednesday.
• Regional investigators and the public prosecutor have opened probes into possible negligence by local authorities for failing to control bear movements into inhabited areas.
• Officials say Russia’s brown bear population has risen sharply to roughly 307–308,000 animals since 1990, increasing pressure on villages at the forest edge.
• Experts and officials link the surge in encounters to food shortages after droughts and wildfires reduced pine nuts and wild fruits, while social media videos and local reports show bears in towns such as Abaza where three animals were shot.
• Authorities have used a mix of measures including culling, night curfews and area restrictions, and the incidents form part of a wider pattern of deadly encounters that observers say highlight gaps in regional wildlife management.