Two residents and dozens of dogs were fatally wounded in a violent attack by a brown bear in a remote village in the Primorsky region of Russia.
An 87-year-old man and his 56-year-old son were fatally mauled when the bear intruded into their home. This followed the bear’s slaughter of 35 stray dogs at a nearby shelter, sparking fear in the local community and triggering a swift response from the local authorities.
This violent episode occurred in Luchegorsk on September 23, 2024, in a village located near Russia’s southeastern border, known for its adjacency to the wilderness. The bear exhibited unusually aggressive behavior prior to the attack, which led experts to suspect it was inflicted with rabies or a severe injury. “A healthy bear would definitely not do this. It would not even come close to a populated area,” said Sergey Aramilev, a bear specialist. The bear’s malnourished appearance further suggested a serious health problem.
At the start of its violent spree, the bear broke through the feeble wooden fence of a local shelter, causing the death of the dogs confined within. “The bear came in at night, and 35 dogs died. We don’t have security here. The dogs are kept in kennels,” mentioned Olga Zamyshlyaeva, the shelter’s director. The shelter, located in a forested area, was inadequately protected against such an attack.
After the massacre at the dog shelter, the bear moved to the home of the elderly man and his son, who were defenseless against the mighty animal. Their bodies were found later, showing signs of severe mauling. The police and hunting inspectors acted quickly to secure the area and imposed a curfew to prevent further attacks on villagers.
The bear was subsequently located and killed by inspectors. Authorities speculated that the bear’s deteriorating health had pushed it into a state of desperation and aggression.
Bear incidents pose a major problem in isolated and bear-populated regions of Russia, like Siberia and the Pacific Coast. About half of the world’s brown bear population is located in Russia, and human-bear interactions have been reported for several years. From 1932 to 2017, over 338 bear attacks on humans were recorded, with serious injuries and deaths reported nationwide.
Most of these incidents take place in areas where people gather wild resources or go hiking, particularly during late summer and fall when bears are storing fat for hibernation. Solitary bears, rather than females with cubs, are often involved in lethal attacks. While some bears may have adapted to human food, most predatory attacks occur without any indication of interest in human food sources.
