Russian city declares readiness alert as bears enter residential areas

A heightened state of readiness has been declared in Bratsk, Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, due to an increase in bears venturing into the city and nearby areas, Bratsk Mayor Alexander Dubrovin has said.

Sharing a post on X, he noted that all reports of bear sightings are recorded by the relevant services and handled according to established procedures, but the situation remains tense.

“Reports of bears appearing in proximity to residential areas have become more frequent,” he wrote.

Earlier, a woman in Russia’s Krasnoyarsk Krai discovered four bears on her property.

The incident occurred in the village of Epishino. The woman contacted police, and officers arrived at the scene together with a representative of a local hunting organisation. The animals were considered a threat to people and were killed.

According to biologist Ilya Gomyranov, increased bear activity in autumn is linked to the animals' need to gain weight before hibernation. As a result, they try to find as much food as possible.

The expert also believes that the number of encounters has increased because people are heading into forests more often in autumn to gather mushrooms.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov