Bear Kills 2 Berry Pickers in Siberia’s Irkutsk Region

Sep. 17, 2026 A bear staring ominously in the distance. John Thomas / unsplash A bear killed two men who were gathering wild berries in Siberia’s Irkutsk region, police said Thursday, coming amid a reported rise in deadly encounters between humans and bears since the spring. Law enforcement said the bear attacked three people who were foraging in the Taiga, killing a 55-year-old and a 65-year-old on Wednesday in a remote forest on the banks of the Lena River, located around 4,200 kilometers (2,610 miles) east of Moscow. “One person managed to escape and report the incident,” the regional branch of Russia’s Interior Ministry said. A search team of police officers and hunters located the bodies of the two men in the forest and opened fire after the bear was said to have appeared and behaved aggressively. The bear fled the area, and authorities are trying to track it down. At least 14 people are now reported to have been killed in bear attacks across Russia since the start of the year, according to a tally by The Moscow Times. The number of non-fatal incidents is higher, experts say. In the neighboring Krasnoyarsk region, investigators said Wednesday that a bear killed a 66-year-old woman in her remote village home. The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry has dismissed reports of an uptick in bear attacks this year, noting that the annual figure tends to hover between 20 and 30, which includes both fatal and non-fatal incidents. In 2014, Russia saw a record 166 bear attacks. Russia’s brown bear population has more than doubled since 1990 and now stands at 307,000. Authorities have reportedly killed more than 530 aggressive bears across the country since the spring Read more about: Wildlife , Animals , Irkutsk Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Krasnoyarsk Woman Killed by Bear Amid Rise in Attacks Bears are confirmed to have killed at least five people in Siberia over the past month, state media reported. 1 Min read Moscow Zoo Pandas Predict Beijing Olympic Winners No one is more qualified to predict the Beijing Games' outcome than a panda. Russia Closes Notorious ‘Whale Jail' Almost 100 whales were released from the secretive facility after an intense campaign by animal rights and environmentalist groups. Siberian City on Alert Over Wild Bear Residents in the Siberian settlement of Khanty-Mansiysk have been warned not to risk their lives by taking photos of a bear sighted within the city limits...