On October 7, regular surveys found no sustained populations of these large predators in Moscow, the city’s environmental department told RIA Novosti.
Wolves and brown bears do not live permanently in Moscow’s natural areas, the city’s Department of Nature Management and Environmental Protection told RIA Novosti on October 7, 2026. The department said regular surveys had found neither established populations nor individual animals permanently living within the city.
The department said the large predators need extensive individual ranges, a substantial food supply and minimal disturbance from people.
The agency attributed reports of animals resembling wolves to possible misidentification or to captive animals temporarily being present in the city. It said there were no confirmed cases of wolf packs forming or of wolves maintaining a sustained presence in Moscow’s natural areas.