Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky cemetery reopens after bear is shot

Authorities lifted restrictions at the New Cemetery in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on October 9 after volunteer hunters shot a bear that had been roaming there for more than a day, the city administration told RIA Novosti.

An administration representative said hunters tracked down the animal overnight. Authorities and emergency responders had warned residents about a large bear at the cemetery the previous day and urged caution. The emergency warning system also circulated a notice confirming that access restrictions had been lifted.

The city has been on heightened alert since September 9 because of increasingly frequent bear incursions. Authorities divided Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky into nine zones monitored by hunters.

RIA Novosti reported that bears have killed three people in Kamchatka in 2026. That figure concerns the wider region, rather than the incident at the city cemetery.