KRASNOYARSK, September 2 (Itar-Tass) —— Bears attack Siberian towns in the search for food. A bear stealing cattle was just shot in the Novosibirsk region, a regional specialist told Itar-Tass.
“A medium-sized bear came from the Altai steppe and killed a bull in a village,” he said. Two policemen shot down the bear with service-issue weapons.
The day earlier a bear attacked a man in Khakassia. The man is alive. He reached the hospital unaided but his condition is serious.
“The bears are very aggressive,” the police say. Policemen and huntsmen urge local residents, especially people collecting berries and mushrooms, to be very careful.
About 30 brown bears live in the Krasnoyarsk Stolby nature reserve, senior researcher Vladimir Kozhechkin said. Most of the bears are unseen to people, but tourists reported several encounters lately. The reason is the food deficit, which forces bears to come close to residential areas. They are particularly attracted to waste dumps.