A run of fatal bear attacks and unusual sightings near homes has unsettled people across Russia this autumn, The Japan Times reports from Irkutsk in Siberia.
Russia has the world's largest brown bear population, which the natural resources ministry estimates has grown from about 130,000 in 1990 to almost 308,000 this year. The ministry says attacks have held steady at roughly 20 to 30 a year, but Russian state media report that at least 26 people have been killed by bears in 2026. Recent cases include a woman dragged from her window and a logger killed while guarding machinery.
Experts point to habitat loss and climate change. A ranger at Lake Baikal national park said a poor pine nut crop had left bears short of food before hibernation, drawing them into built-up areas.
Source: The Japan Times