Siberian hunters in the Krasnoyarsk region have started hunting brown bears after fatal attacks and a nationwide population spike. Local residents in settlements like Podtesovo remain gripped by fear as hungry predators roam near homes and children’s playgrounds.
Deep in the Siberian taiga, a brown bear’s sprint ends in a volley of three shots, dropping the animal into the grass with hunter Mikhail Kondakov resting his hand on its fur. Kondakov and fellow hunters stepped up their patrols to heed calls from residents in the settlement of Podtesovo following a deadly summer encounter that claimed the lives of two local women.
Kondakov added that bears have increasingly been coming directly into the settlement, prompting the decision to hunt them down because there are simply too many roaming the area.
Shorter Winters Drive Population Surge
Government data indicates the nation’s brown bear population has more than doubled over the last three decades to reach 308,000. Officials attribute this massive growth partly to shorter and milder winters.
State media figures show that at least 22 people have been killed in bear attacks since the spring. In response to the rising death toll, the Russian government drafted emergency control measures last month.
Experts cited in regional media report that an unusually early and dry spring left bears starved of berries. This food shortage forced the animals to venture far beyond their usual forest territories. Compounding the danger, humans have frequently drawn wildlife closer by leaving food waste exposed and ignoring standard safety rules.
Krasnoyarsk Faces Criminal Negligence Probe
The Krasnoyarsk region, home to nearly 27,000 bears, has faced intense scrutiny over its handling of the wildlife threat. State investigators announced last month that they opened a criminal case against the local environment ministry. Authorities accuse the ministry of negligence for failing to keep bear numbers under control, pointing to a September spike that resulted in seven deaths alone.
In Podtesovo — a Yenisei River settlement of roughly 3,500 residents — a simple wooden cross and a color photograph mark the grave of 67-year-old pensioner Zoya Gubanova. Gubanova was killed on August 31 while out gathering mushrooms, a popular seasonal pastime.
Residents Face Constant Fear Behind Fences
Yulia Markova described an atmosphere of constant dread.
“We have been living in fear for almost two months now, we cannot even go out for a walk in the evening. People are afraid to let their children go out alone. This is not a cuddly toy, it is not some soft, harmless teddy bear. It is a wild animal. And who knows what its intentions are, what kind of mood it is in when it comes here.”
Yulia Markova, local resident, via Yahoo and The Independent
Markova noted that while residents initially pitied the hungry bears due to the lack of nuts and berries, hearts had hardened after the bears started coming into the settlement in large numbers
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Pregnant mother Valeriya Efremova described restricting outings even to local parks after animals wandered into areas where children play. Other residents, including Nikolai Zhilinsky and Vladimir Vagin, reported avoiding evening walks, fearing attacks in their own gardens near raspberry bushes, and abandoning river fishing trips out of fear of water encounters.
Will the new government control measures and expanded hunting patrols be enough to stop the attacks, or will the bears continue entering settlements as long as food shortages persist?