Wildlife authorities in Russia’s Far East shot and killed 11 brown bears in a single night after the animals were lured to a makeshift landfill by the smell of discarded fish, state media reported on Monday.
“This is the first time in 18 years that we’ve [killed] that many bears in one night. We’d done three to four at most,” said Alexander Matern, the chief wildlife hunting inspector for the Magadan region.
According to Matern, the bears had been regularly foraging for food at the landfill near the village of Tauisk, located 85 kilometers (53 miles) west of the regional capital, since the spring.
State broadcaster Rossiya said residents in the neighboring village of Yanskii also reported fresh bear tracks at their dachas and local landfill, prompting regular visits from wildlife services.
The area lies along a so-called “bear trail” used by the animals on nightly runs, residents said, adding that they now lock themselves and their pets indoors each night to avoid encounters.
Bear sightings are common along the 120-kilometer (75-mile) stretch of highway off the Sea of Okhotsk, including at licensed salmon fishing sites. One fishing site employee blamed visitors for dumping food waste at an unregulated landfill, which attracts the bears.
Magadan was home to an estimated 17,500 brown bears as of early 2024, up from 16,000 the year before. At least three people were killed by bears in the city of Magadan, located 6,000 kilometers (3,700 miles) east of Moscow, in the summer of 2023.
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