Russian bear crisis: Regions brace for surge in culling as predators threaten settlements

Russian regions are bracing for a drastic increase in bear culling following a spate of attacks on humans. In the Krasnoyarsk Krai, hunters are already being offered substantial bounties of up to 36,500 rubles for a harvested predator, with similar incentives reportedly in place in Buryatia. Federal authorities are contemplating the relaxation of certain regulations and the devolution of greater powers to regional entities for managing bear populations.

Photo: Pravda.Ru by Olga Sakiulova, https://creativecommons.org/public-domain/pdm/

Mystical beast in a foggy forest

The problem is no longer an obscure or exotic concern. Bears are venturing into populated areas, appearing near schools, homes, and dachas (country houses). The town of Baikalsk imposed a curfew due to bear incursions, and in Zakamensk, Buryatia, schools were forced to switch to remote learning. In the Krasnoyarsk Krai alone, over 120 reports have been filed regarding bear sightings within settlements. Media coverage of attacks during the summer of 2026 has nearly doubled compared to the previous year.

Multiple Factors Drive Bear Proliferation and Human Encounters

Several converging factors contribute to this escalating situation. The brown bear population in Russia has surged to an estimated 307,900 individuals, a stark increase from the 130,000 recorded in 1990. However, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment notes that the population has remained relatively stable over the past five years. Contributing factors include poor harvests of berries and other natural food sources, an early dry spring, climate change, the availability of refuse near settlements, and a decline in the economic attractiveness of commercial bear hunting.

Russia's bear population is indeed exceptional on a global scale. The entirety of Europe, excluding Russia, hosts approximately 20,500 brown bears. Even Romania, which grapples with a serious issue of bears entering human settlements, has an estimated population of only 10,000 to 13,000 animals. In Belarus, the numbers are in the hundreds.

Culling Alone is Not a Panacea

However, a widespread culling effort by itself does not guarantee a solution. Romania, for instance, has increased its annual bear quota to nearly 900 individuals. Yet, experts caution that if bears are culled deep within forests rather than targeting specific "problem" animals near human habitations, the frequency of dangerous encounters may not significantly diminish. A comprehensive strategy is required, encompassing population control, the cleanup of garbage dumps and food waste, proactive deterrence measures, and the swift removal of bears that have lost their fear of humans.

The Russian bear, long perceived as a national symbol and stereotype, has taken on an alarmingly literal dimension in 2026. Russia possesses the world's largest brown bear population, and the current challenge is not merely to reduce its numbers but to re-establish a safe demarcation between human territory and that of these formidable predators.

Source: This commentary was adapted from an original Russian-language publication by Pravda.Ru.