Game specialist links bears' visits to villages with poor berry crop

A poor wild berry crop and accessible food waste are drawing brown bears closer to people in Russia's Arkhangelsk region, Kenozersky National Park game specialist Pavel Futoran said.

In comments to RIA Novosti on October 16, Futoran said the berry shortage coincided with improper handling of food waste. Its smell attracts bears to easily available food.

Bears in the northern part of the region feed mainly on wild berries, including bilberries, lingonberries, cranberries and crowberries. Futoran said a similar food shortage occurred in the region in 2019.

Kenozersky park staff deliberately sow selected areas with oats to provide food and reduce the animals' need to forage in settlements.

Regional authorities report a difficult situation in Primorsky district this season, with bears damaging unoccupied houses in Verkhnyaya and Nizhnyaya Zolotitsa.