Eight bears killed in two days under Irkutsk population control measures

Eight bears were killed under population control measures in Russia’s Irkutsk region on October 19 and 20, bringing the total since the animals’ active season began to 527, the regional government said.

Six bears were killed on October 19 and two on October 20. During those two days, the 112 emergency line received 36 reports of bears near settlements. Checks confirmed signs of their presence in 28 cases.

The largest numbers of calls came from the Nizhneudinsky, Slyudyansky, Usolsky, Nizhneilimsky and Ziminsky districts. A regional working group is addressing protection of residents from the predators.

The regional government said 224 population control decisions covering 767 bears had been issued in 2026. That figure refers to the animals covered by the decisions, while 527 is the number already killed.

The region has recorded seven cases in which people died in encounters with bears. Three occurred in the Kirensky district, where people gathering wild plants were killed. A hunter died in the Ust-Ilimsky district, and a worker was killed when a bear entered accommodation at an enterprise in the Kazachinsko-Lensky district. Two other men died at winter cabins in the Nizhneilimsky and Bratsky districts.