BROWN BEAR ATTACKS IN RUSSIA | Facts and Details

BEAR ATTACKS IN RUSSIA

Bear attacks have long been a problem in Russia in years when their food supplies run low. In the most extreme case, 270 bears were reportedly killed in four villages in Irkutsk province in 1968. In 2010, a scorching summer left bears in Siberia so hungry that some began digging up human graves. [Source Alec Luhn, The Guardian, September 4, 2015]

In April 2025, a Russian man survived bear attack as bear sightings near Moscow increased Reuters reported: A brown bear attacked and badly mauled a Russian man in a forest about 125 km (78 miles) from Moscow. The man, who apparently survived the attack by managing to play dead, was out collecting antlers shed by elk and deer when the bear attacked him from behind, a local news website quoted the man's uncle as saying. "It began to gnaw at his skull, then turned (him) over and started eating his face," the victim's relative said. "Somehow, (he) pretended to be dead, and the bear left him alone." Russian media said the injured man called emergency services and waited for hours while emergency crews searched for him on foot in the forest near the village of Yeremeevo. He was then taken to hospital by helicopter. Bear hunting is allowed in much of Russia, but is banned in the Moscow region. Some Russians go out in the forest to collect antlers, a pair of which can sell for up to 15,000 roubles ($178), about two-thirds of Russia's minimum monthly wage. [Source: Reuters, April 6, 2025]

In 2023, there were a number of bear attacks in Russia, including several in the region of Khakassia, north of the Altai region, where Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and China all come together. There, four bear attacks on humans were recorded in four months. In one case, a person was severely injured, requiring extensive reconstructive surgery. Another incident involved a bear attack in a forest near Moscow, where a man was mauled but survived by playing dead. [Source: Google AI]

In September 1999 a young girl was killed by a bear cub at a zoo in Siberia. The 7- or 8-year-old child had been trying to feed the bear cubs in the central Siberian zoo. One animal knocked her over with a single blow, pulled her into the cage and mauled her to death. The bear, along with another cub in the cage, was shot dead by zoo keepers who had attempted, in vain, to save the girl. [Source: Interfax, September 17, 1999]

Bear Attacks in Russia Between 1932 and 2017

wounds from a bear attack in Khabarovsk

A review of 338 cases of people killed or injured by brown bears from 1932 to 2017 in Russia, home of about half of the world's brown bears, revealed that during the Soviet period, 1932–1990, hunters and outdoor workers were injured/killed by bears more frequently than people engaged in other activities, 28 percent and 19 percent among all incidents, respectively. However, after 1991, people who gathered wild resources, hiked or were within human settlements were most affected (22, 16 and 15 percent, respectively). Single bears were involved in most of the incidents before and after 1991 (76 percent and 74 percent of the cases, respectively).[Source: “Human injuries and fatalities caused by brown bears in Russia, 1932–2017" by Svitlana Kudrenko, Andrés Ordiz, Svetlana L. Barysheva, Leonid Baskin, Jon E. Swenson, Open Access, February 3 2020 bioone.org/journals/wildlife-biology/]

In 1991–2017, the post-Soviet period, when data availability was better, bear-caused injuries and fatalities (264 records) occurred more often on the Russian Pacific Coast (111 incidents) and in Siberia (109 incidents) than in European Russia (44 incidents), where human encroachment in bear habitat is higher. During the same period, the percentages of fatalities were not significantly different among the areas; 39 percent in European Russia, 49 percent in Siberia and 50 percent on the Pacific

Coast. Casualties occurred mainly during daytime and especially in summer and autumn. In 182 incidents with known probable causes, bears most frequently attacked when provoked or disturbed (38 percent) and surprised (21 percent), but 18 percent of the incidents seemed to reflect bear predatory behavior. Hence, we encourage researchers and wildlife managers to develop educational programs on large carnivore biology and behavior and to better manage human activities in bear country in order to minimize human–bear conflicts in Russia and elsewhere.

Bear Attacks in the Russian Far East

Many attacks occur in the Russian Far East, especially the Kamchatka peninsula, which is well-known for its large brown bears, In June 2008, the mutilated remains of a man were found after he was attacked on Sakhalin island, the third person killed by a bear at that time in 2008. The same Last month a woman was also killed by a bear that had ventured into the suburbs of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatka.

There were several reported bear attacks in Russia's far east in the summer of 2014. According to the BBC "at least three people killed in different attacks blamed on a combination of factors connected to the region's volatile climate which can range from record high temperatures to flooding and freak snow and hailstorms. The Interfax news agency said that the animals are more hungry because nets have prevented salmon from swimming up rivers to spawn, leaving bears without regular food. [Source: BBC, May 13 2015]

In December 2003, a bear mauled a man to death in the Kronotsky wildlife reserve on Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East. The Kamchatka rescue service reported that one of the oldest workers of the reserve and well-known Kamchatka photographer and hunting specialist Vitaly Nikolayenko fell victim to a big bear 1.5 kilometers from the rangers' station. According to to RIA Novosti: “Nikolayenko was taking a photograph of the animal and failed to use the weapon he was carrying when the bear attacked him. The rescue workers brought the body to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. A total of about 600 Kamchatka bears live on the territory of the Kronotsky wildlife refuge but cases of attacks on man by beasts of prey are extremely rare. [Source: RIA Novosti, December 30, 2003]

Bear Attacks in the Khabarovsk Region

The Khabarovsk Region is north of Vladivostok in the Russian Far East Records from the Department of Forensic Medicine at Far Eastern State Medical University indicate eight documented bear attacks on humans in the Khabarovsk Region between 2011 and 2018, resulting in four fatalities and four injuries, Male victims accounted for most cases (87.5 percent), with only one female individual (12.5 percent). Ages of the victims ranged from 15 to 67 years, with a mean age of 45.3 years. The time elapsed from the attack to discovery ranged from two hours to six months, with most incidents occurring in forested areas, including all fatal attacks. Complete autopsies were conducted for all fatal cases. [Source: "Fatal bear attack in Russian Federation: A case report" by Nikolaos Angelakopoulos, Igor Valentinovich Vlasyuk, Sudheer Babu Balla, Rizky Merdietio Boedi, Galina Zolotenkova, Legal Medicine Volume 72, February 2025 sciencedirect.com]

In May, 2011 a 57 year-male was attacked and killed by a bear while two men were collecting wild medicinal plants in the forest. The victim was killed after being pulled from a tree. Discovery took place 3–4 hours after the event. The injuries included lower limb injuries and a hemorrhage,

In November 2014, a 60 year-male was attacked by a bear at a village settlement. He had provoked a bear's aggression while attempting to drive it away from a waste dump. The injury was Non-Fatal. Medical help arrived one hour after the event. The injuries included cervical and scalp injuries.

In June 2015, a 67 year-male was attacked by a bear in the forest. The unarmed man collecting wild plants was attacked by a mother bear and her cub. The injury was Fatal. Discovery took place two days after the event. The injuries included multiple wounds and a cervical injury.

In June 2015, a 36 year-male was attacked by a bear in the forest. The man was hunting with his dog near a river and was found dead near a bear's den. The attack was likely provoked by the dog. The injury was fatal. Discovery took place five months after the event. The injuries included neck wound,

In April 2017, a 45 year-male fisherman was attacked and killed by a bear. His dead body was found near a salmon river. The injury was Fatal. Discovery took place six months after the event. The injuries included neck wounds and acute blood loss.

In December 2018, 63 year-male was attacked by a bear at a hunter’s lodge. The hunters' food remnants attracted the bear. The man, known for alcohol abuse, tried to drive the bear away. The injury was Non-Fatal. Medical help arrived one hour after the event. The injuries included multiple amputations and traumatic shock.

In June 2018, a 20 year-female was attacked by a bear in a forest during an orienteering event. The led to an urgent evacuation and the discovery of a participant's body. The injury was Fatal. Discovery took place two hours after the event. The injuries included scalp lacerations, rib and internal organ damage.

In June June, a 15 year-male was attacked by a bear while children participated in an orienteering competition in a forest. The boy who was attacked by the bear was rescued by adults. The injuries was Non-Fatal. Medical help arrived one hour after the event. The injuries included lacerations and rib fractures.

Case Report of Hunter Killed by Bear in Khabarovsk

On October 2015, a hunter’s body was discovered in the Khabarovsk region approximately 400 meters from a deceased brown bear, indicating a deadly confrontation,. Forensic examination revealed extensive trauma and varied patterns of injuries, with the cause of death attributed to mixed shock from traumatic injuries and acute blood loss. [Source: "Fatal bear attack in Russian Federation: A case report" by Nikolaos Angelakopoulos, Igor Valentinovich Vlasyuk, Sudheer Babu Balla, Rizky Merdietio Boedi, Galina Zolotenkova, Legal Medicine Volume 72, February 2025 sciencedirect.com]

According to a case study on his death the male hunter entered a forest, armed with a 12-gauge double-barreled shotgun and a Simonov SKS self-loading carbine (7.62x39 mm). Accompanied by his small husky dog, he ventured into his familiar hunting grounds where he had permission to hunt. He parked his car by the roadside and ventured into the woods. As night fell, his son, unable to reach him by phone, went to the location. He found the hunter’s car parked with the dog beside it. After a brief search in the forest close to the road, he found no sign of his father and returned. Concerned, a search operation was organized the next day by the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the police. During the search, the responders discovered the body of an east Siberian brown bear (ursus arctos collaris), weighing approximately 300 kilograms lying two meters off the road near the parked car. The bear had a noticeable gunshot wound under its armpit and appeared to have been dead for some time. Further into the forest, responders also noticed a bear cub, prompting them to proceed with caution.

A search team of 30 members spaced 10 meters apart thoroughly combed the area. At approximately 6:10 a.m., two days after the disappearance, the hunter's body was found near a tree, about 400 meters from the bear's carcass. He lay on his back with his rifle and cell phone beside him. Close to his body, investigators found one spent cartridge, one intact cartridge in the vicinity, and the rifle itself contained one unspent and one discharged cartridge. Fifteen meters from his body, traces of blood and a fragment of wool were found, creating a trail leading from the hunter's body to the wool, suggesting a connection between the two.

This hypothesis suggests a sequence of events as follows: The hunter encountered the bear and fired a shot. He then reloaded his gun, inserting two more cartridges, and attempted to fire again but managed to discharge only one additional shot. Following this, the bear attacked, inflicting multiple wounds that ultimately led to the hunter's death. Surprisingly, the bear also succumbed to injuries sustained during the confrontation. It is speculated that after the hunter's demise, the bear cub may have consumed parts of his remains given the variability in the bite arches seen in left lumbar and left forearm region.

The autopsy examination revealed extensive injuries to the head and limbs. Significant defects in facial tissues and breaches in cranial vault integrity were noted with a notable facial avulsion. Specifically, the cranial vault displayed approximately ten furrows on the outer bone plate which indicates claw markings. A penetrating wound originating from a fracture in the left temporal region was identified; this trauma extended to the dura mater with multiple associated lesions. The soft meninges and tissues of the left temporal lobe were damaged. Notably, there was total subarachnoid hemorrhage across the cerebral hemispheres, with concurrent hemorrhage into the left lateral ventricle.

The limbs exhibited severe trauma, with approximately thirty lacerations on the outer bone plate. Notably, the hands displayed multiple lacerations; the right forearm had two bite marks, and the left hand showed a significant skin defect. A multi-fragmentary fracture of the left forearm radius and ulna was found, with multiple splinters and fragments, primarily polygonal in shape, ranging in size from 0.1 x 0.1 x 0.2 cm to 3 x 1.5 x 1.5 cm. A cavity filled with dark red liquid blood formed within the soft tissues surrounding the fracture, and the soft tissues were soaked in blood. Additionally, the left forearm had multiple bite marks, a bite mark on the left shoulder blade, and several bite marks on the left lumbar region. The right foot had seven lacerations.

Kamchatka Brown Bears Eat Two Men

In 2008, Tony Halpin wrote in The Times: Terrified workers at a mining compound in one of Russia's most isolated regions are refusing to go to work after a pack of giant bears attacked and ate two of their colleagues. At least 30 of the hungry animals have been seen prowling in search of food close to the mines in northern Kamchatka, where the mangled remains of the two workers, both guards, were found last week. Trapped and frightened, the gruesome discovery has left their co-workers at the compound in the Olyotorsky district too scared to venture out. A team of snipers, with orders to shoot the bears, is now being despatched to confront the invasion after government officials authorised an off-season hunt. [Source: Tony Halpin in Moscow, The Times, July 24 2008]

The Kamchatka brown bear is one of the world's largest, with males growing to around three meters and weighing up to 700 kilograms. They can also reach speeds of up to 48kph. They are generally peaceful and feed on salmon in Kamchatka's rivers. Environmentalists say widespread poaching has caused a fish shortage, prompting the bears to become aggressive as they seek out food close to human settlements.

Their arrival has paralysed work at platinum mines owned by the Koryakgeologia company. Geologists refused to leave their compound in Mount Ledyanaya after 20 bears were seen wandering around, while at least 10 animals were spotted at nearby Penisty. Villagers in nearby Khailino are also afraid to leave their homes after bears were seen rummaging through garbage.

The local administration appealed to the regional government to sanction a hunt to protect residents. However, opinion is divided over how many bears should be killed to prevent further incidents. Experts argue that a mass slaughter is unnecessary and that the snipers should concentrate on isolating the two or three bears whose tracks were found close to the mutilated bodies of the guards. They believe the other bears can be frightened away from the settlements and forced back into the forest to hunt for something to eat, although this could prove a problem as they are much more willing to scavenge for food in towns than before

Woman Attacked and Buried by a Bear in the Russian Far East

In May 2015, a woman was attacked and seriously injured by a bear that buried her alive in the far east of Russia. The BBC reported: "Natalya Pasternak, 55, was gathering wood in a forest near Tynda in Amur region when the attack happened. Some reports say that the bear thought she was dead and tried to bury her so that it could return to its prey later. Rescuers shot the bear after they rushed to the scene and it also began attacking them, reports say. [Source: BBC, May 13 2015 ^|^]

"The Siberian Times reported that they found post office worker Ms Pasternak after noticing her bloodied hand protruding from underneath a pile of undergrowth. They cleared it away to discover that she was still conscious despite the severity of injuries to her head and thighs. A second woman managed to escape and call the emergency services. ^|^

"Wildlife expert Sergei Ivanov told the government daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta that he had shot the adult female bear immediately "when it leapt towards us out of a ravine, in a rage". "Nearby we found the woman, which the bear had already managed to cover with earth. She was conscious, with many wounds on her body, and the bear had scalped her." Reports say the bear initially attacked the women's dog.A tissue sample from the dead bear has been sent to a lab to determine whether an infection is responsible for its unusually aggressive behaviour. Residents of Tynda have spotted bears on the town's outskirts occasionally in the past, reports say.

Russian Town Besieged by Hungry Bears

In the summer of 2015, dozens of hungry bears have besieged a small town in Russia’s far east, roaming the streets and attacking residents. Alec Luhn wrote in The Guardian, “In the past month, more than 30 bears have entered inhabited areas in Russia’s Primorsky region, located between China, North Korea and the Sea of Japan. Local authorities have had to shoot at least two animals. Luchegorsk, a town of 21,000 on the river Kontrovod near the Chinese border, has been particularly affected. Two large bears – a brown bear and a Himalayan bear – are now “ruling over” Luchegorsk, wandering the streets and scaring local people, the Primorskaya newspaper reported. Asian black bears have also been seen, and a further three dozen bears are circling the town, according to other reports. [Source Alec Luhn, The Guardian, September 4, 2015 ==]

“Local people say they are afraid to leave their homes and that the streets are filled with the sounds of sirens and loudspeakers telling citizens not to go outside for their own safety, VladNews reported. In one case, bears reportedly ransacked bee hives kept by locals. Kindergartens have kept children inside. There is good reason for the caution: a dashcam recently captured footage of a bear jumping out from beneath a balcony to attack a man in Luchegorsk as he was walking his dog near the entrance to his apartment building. Another man was wounded in a bear attack at the local bus station. ==

“Vladimir Vasilyev, head of the Primorsky region’s animal control department, said the situation in Luchegorsk had “stabilised” thanks to the efforts of police and game wardens. “Law enforcement officers are using the sirens on their cars to chase away the bears and are shooting in the air to frighten them,” Vasilyev said, adding that some bears had been dispersed with fire hoses. “Two animals have had to be shot since the start of this invasion. They needed to be neutralised because they posed a real threat to humans and were attacking local residents.”

“Vasilyev was apparently referring to an incident on 24 August when a mother bear and her grown cub roamed the streets of Luchegorsk looking for food. After the cub attacked a man, police and game wardens shot both bears. The man was later taken to hospital. Other reports put the number of bears killed higher. A game warden told the OTV Primorye channel he had to shoot a bear when it turned on him as he was trying to chase it out of Luchegorsk. ==

“Experts believe the hungry bears have been migrating to the Primorsky region from neighbouring Khabarovsk and China in search of food. The number of bears in Primorsky has also grown in recent years due to fewer hunters, Pavel Fomenko of the World Wildlife Fund told news agency Rosbalt. Poor yields this year of Manchurian walnuts, acorns, pine nuts and berries across all these areas have deprived the bears of their main sources of food to fatten up for winter hibernation, sending them into towns in looking to eat.”

Bear Attacks Kill Three People in Siberia

In the summer of 2014, a rash of bear attacks in Russia left at least three people dead and many more injured during a wave of freaky weather that included record high temperatures, snow, hailstorms and flooding hit Siberia and the country's far east. Alec Luhn wrote in The Guardian, “Recent attacks include one at 2am on Wednesday at a meteorological station in the forests of Sakha Republic. A bear broke down the door of a residential trailer and bit the arm of the woman inside, only to be scared away by her loud screaming. Three days earlier another bear ambushed a boy on Iturup island as he was walking home from his grandmother's house. The bear had dragged the 14-year-old to the shore by the time police arrived and shot it dead. The boy had 170 stitches and remains in critical condition. [Source: Alec Luhn, The Guardian, August 1, 2014 ]

“This month, a bear killed three construction workers on Sakhalin island and left two in critical condition in an attack that was partially filmed on one of the men's mobile phones. During another attack in the Sakha Republic, a man's mobile phone saved his life when it suddenly activated and the tone scared off a bear that was biting his head. Adult brown bears found in Siberia and far-east Russia can grow to more the 590kg (1,300lbs) in size.

“Human activity may be behind some of the attacks. Experts cited by the news agency Interfax said nets and obstacles have prevented salmon from swimming up rivers to spawn, leaving bears without a regular food supply. Extreme weather can also disrupt the predators' biorhythms and food supply, said Vladimir Krever, director of the biodiversity programme at WWF Russia. "The increase [in] number of extreme natural phenomena, hurricanes, storms, sudden heat or cold … can lead to a growth in conflict situations for people in nature, including with bears," Krever said.”

Teenager Calls Mum as She Is Eaten Alive by Brown Bears

In August 2011, a mother listened on a cell phone as her teenage daughter was eaten alive by a brown bear and its three cubs. Will Stewart wrote in Daily MailOnline, “Olga Moskalyova, 19, gave an horrific hour-long running commentary on her own death in three separate calls as the wild animals mauled her. She screamed: 'Mum, the bear is eating me! Mum, it’s such agony. Mum, help!' Her mother Tatiana said that at first she thought she was joking. 'But then I heard the real horror and pain in Olga’s voice, and the sounds of a bear growling and chewing,' she added. 'I could have died then and there from shock.' [Source: Will Stewart, Daily MailOnline, August 17, 2011 -]

“Unknown to Tatiana, the bear had already killed her husband Igor Tsyganenkov - Olga’s stepfather - by overpowering him, breaking his neck and smashing his skull. Olga, a trainee psychologist, saw the ―attack on her stepfather in tall grass and reeds by a river in Russia and fled for 70 yards before the mother bear grabbed her leg. As the creature toyed with her, she managed to call Tatiana several times during the prolonged attack.Tatiana rang her husband - not knowing he was ―already dead - but got no answer. -

“She alerted the police and relatives in the village of Termalniy, near Petropavlovsk Kamchatskiy, in the extreme east of Siberia. She begged them to rush to the river where the pair had gone to retrieve a fishing rod that Igor had left. In a second call, a weak Olga gasped: 'Mum, the bears are back. She came back and brought her three babies. They’re... eating me.' Finally, in her last call - almost an hour after the first - Olga sensed she was on the verge of death. With the bears having apparently left her to die, she said: 'Mum, it’s not hurting any more. I don’t feel the pain. Forgive me for everything, I love you so much.' The call cut off and that was the last Tatiana heard from her ―daughter. -

“Half an hour later, Igor’s brother Andrei arrived with police to find the mother bear still devouring his body. Badly mauled Olga was also dead. Six hunters were sent in by the emergency services to kill the mother bear and her three cubs. The double killing is the latest in a spate of bear attacks across ―Russia, as the hungry animals seek food in areas where people have ―encroached and settled on their former habitat.” -

How to Avoid Bear Attacks

Yellowstone National Park is bear country. There, park officials strongly encourage hikers to: 1) travel in groups of three or more; 2) carry bear spray which they know how to use and can easily grab; and 3) make noise or wear bells or some other noise maker so they don't accidentally startle a bear. If you encounter a bear do not run. Back away slowly. The park requires that people stay at least 100 yards from bears and wolves, and at least 25 yards from other large animals. [Source: CNN]

“If you come across a bear, never push a slower friend down … even if you feel the friendship has run its course,” the U.S. National Park Service wrote in a tweet in 2023. The tweet garnered more than 17,000 retweets and over 146,000 likes within a few days. Brooke Baitinger wrote in the Sacramento Bee: “In fact, if you do come face-to-face with a bear, you really shouldn’t run at all. That includes pushing your slower friend toward the bear to make a break for it. That’s because they’ll act like dogs and chase fleeing animals. You also don’t want them to see you as a prey animal. Here’s what you should do instead, according to the National Park Service:

Identify Yourself as a Human and Not a Prey Animal by talking calmly, and stay put. Slowly wave your arms. The bear might come closer or stand up on its back legs to get a better look or to smell you, which is usually a sign of curiosity and not aggression. Walk away slowly: Move sideways so you appear less threatening to the bear. This also lets you keep an eye out. [Source: Brooke Baitinger, Sacramento Bee, March 2, 2023]

Don’t Scream or Make Any Loud or High-pitched Noises since the bear might think it’s the sound of a prey animal. Screaming could trigger an attack. Pick up smaller children. Don’t let kids run away from a bear. It could think they’re small prey. Also, make yourself look as big as possible, including moving to higher ground if you can. Don’t make any sudden movements. Dogs have pluses and minuses. On one hand they can alert you to a bear's presence and drive it off. On the other hand dogs can also also startle bears, annoy and aggravate them and be seen as prey.

Stay Calm and remember that most bears do not want to attack you; they usually just want to be left alone. Talk slowly and with a low voice to the bear. Bears might bluff to avoid an encounter by charging and turning away at the last second.

Don’t Try Climbing a Tree. Black bears and grizzlies can both climb trees. Don’t drop your bag: A bag on your back can keep a bear from accessing food, and it can provide protection. If a bear attacks you deploy spray if you have it or strike the animal with anything: a rock, stick or hiking pole. Some say you should try to jab its eyes or punch it in the nose as you are told to do with sharks.

Hike in Groups: A group is noisier and smellier, the National Park Service said. Bears like to keep their distance from groups of people. Hikers in bear country are encouraged to keep their distance, especially with a mother and her cubs. Alaskan bear expert Larry Aumiller, who spends much of time escorting tourist around bears, told Smithsonian, "Sometimes it can get a little complicated depending on things like how many people we have, how loud or aggressive they are, which bears are present that day and how they're getting along with each other. If we seem to be making a bear nervous, I get the group to act more submissive. We may move closer together, which make the group's size appear less formidable. We stop making noise, we may sit down, we say even slowly move away. If, on the other hand, a bear starts acting assertive, we may do the opposite—spread out and stand up on logs or rocks, talk loudly, maybe even wave our arms around. Every interaction is different and it's up to us to read the people and the bears, and respond appropriately to each other."

One Russian guide told the New York Times, "Never look the bear on the eyes. And don't move. Just yell Russia swear words at it." If you surprise and are attacked by a brown bear some advise you to play dead since most of the time the bear is defending itself. If it stalks you fight back and don’t make yourself easy pray. In some places hikers carry pepper spray to ward off bears. Pepper spray may work in a close encounter.The jury is out on whether this really works. Some say pepper spray may actually attract bears. If sprayed at a campsite bears can get a whiff of it a quarter of a mile away.

Troublesome grizzly bears are driven away by loud yelling, firing shotgun blanks, throwing bean bags, igniting flares, or firing rubber bullets. Other measures employed to keep bears away include electric fencing around garbage sites, replacing conventional trash cans with bear-proof models and educating people on how to keep their trash stored out of harms way. In the United States, troublesome grizzly bears are driven away by chasing them with specially trained Finnish dogs and dealt with using the three-strikes-your-out policy in which troublemakers are caught and taken to a wilderness area. If they show up two more times and cause trouble they are killed.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org ; National Geographic, Live Science, Natural History magazine, David Attenborough books, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Discover magazine, The New Yorker, Time, BBC, CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Wikipedia, The Guardian, Top Secret Animal Attack Files website and various books and other publications.

Last updated May 2025