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Bear Attacks Russian Woman as She Dines in Cafe

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A cafe patron in the Siberian city of Tomsk was mauled by a bear that had spent years caged up as an attraction to draw diners in, the Gazeta.ru news site reported Sunday.

The bears had long been kept in a cage in the cafe, according to Gazeta.ru.

A woman dining at the cafe went to get a closer look at the captive beasts as her husband ordered, when one attacked.

Local media claimed the bear tore her arm off, but the account was not confirmed by police.

Following the incident, Tomsk animal control specialists vowed to inspect whether the cafe owners had permits and other necessary documents to keep the bears on site.

"We're going to investigate it thoroughly, but based on preliminary data, it appears that their documents are in order," Valery Yermolenko, head of Tomsk animal control, was cited by Gazeta.ru as saying Sunday.

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