On Monday, September 23, 2024, a brown bear wreaked havoc in a secluded village in the Primorsky region of Russia, taking the lives of two men and killing multiple dogs.
The bear forced its way into the residence of an elderly man and his middle-aged son after brutally killing 35 stray dogs in a nearby animal shelter. The horrifying incident caused the deaths of both men, leading to rapid reaction from local law enforcement.
The fatal encounter unfolded in the village of Luchegorsk, located near Russia’s southeastern border and known for its wilderness surroundings. The bear, suspected to be either rabid or severely injured, had exhibited escalating aggressiveness in the days leading to the shocking attack. Bear expert Sergey Aramilev commented, “A healthy bear would definitely not do this. It would not even come close to a populated area.” The bear’s unusual conduct and apparent malnourishment pointed to a serious health issue.
The bear’s rampage started when it overcame the weak wooden fence of a local shelter, where the stray dogs were restrained in cages. Shelter director Olga Zamyshlyaeva detailed the aftermath: “The bear came in at night, and 35 dogs died. We don’t have security here. The dogs are kept in kennels.” The facility, situated in a forested region, lacked sufficient protection against such an assault.
After attacking the dogs, the bear broke into the house of the older man and his son, who were defenseless against the creature. Their bodies, bearing marks of severe mauling, were discovered later. Hunting inspectors and local police swiftly reacted, securing the area and imposing a curfew to safeguard the remaining villagers from further incidents.
Inspectors traced and eliminated the bear after a brief search. Officials inferred that the animal’s poor condition had driven it into a perilous and desperate state.
In Russia, especially in remote areas like Siberia and the Pacific Coast with significant bear populations, bear attacks are a major concern. Russia hosts approximately half of the world’s brown bear population, and human-bear interactions have been reported for decades. From 1932 to 2017, over 338 instances of bear attacks on humans were recorded, with deaths and serious injuries happening across the nation.
Most incidents occur in areas where people engage in activities like gathering wild resources or hiking, often during the late summer and fall when bears are storing fat for hibernation. Lone bears, rather than females with cubs, are typically responsible for deadly attacks. While some bears might be accustomed to human food sources, most predatory attacks happen without any signs of habituation to human food.