Residents of the city of Ridder in the East Kazakhstan region have reported increasingly frequent encounters with bears right in front of their homes. The wild animals are destroying fences, raiding apiaries and turning suburban areas into their habitats, making locals afraid to go outside in the evenings, 24.kz reported.
Residents say there have been noticeably more bears recently. According to the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, around 4,500 bears inhabit East Kazakhstan, nearly twice as many as five years ago.
One of the reasons cited for the bear migration is a lack of food in the mountains, caused by deforestation and spring frosts, forcing the animals to search for sustenance elsewhere.
According to Sergei Karmannikov, deputy chief of the rapid response unit of the natural resources management department of the East Kazakhstan region, human activity is also contributing to the presence of bears in residential areas. He noted that factors may include open illegal dumping sites on the outskirts and wildfires in neighboring Russia, which have forced animals to move into Kazakhstan.
Specialists believe that the population needs to be managed, but without drastic measures. Brown bears are an important part of the Altai region’s ecosystem. In 2025, hunting of 185 bears has been allowed to help control population growth.
Previously, bear encounters were reported in Japan, including an incident of an animal entering a supermarket and even a fatal bear attack.
