Hunters have killed 115 bears as part of efforts to regulate the bear population in Russia’s Tomsk region.
“Operative Information Center-OMM” reports that Alexander Shlapakov, deputy head of the regional Hunting and Fishing Department, told TASS.
He said that a total of 200 permits to hunt bears had been issued.
Bears have recently been approaching residential areas in the Tomsk region more often. Five people were killed in bear attacks in the region in 2026, and a hunter was injured in Tomsk district. He is currently in hospital. A high-alert regime has been introduced in the region.
“A total of 115 bears have been hunted in the Tomsk region to regulate their population. In all, 200 permits have been issued,” Shlapakov said.
According to TASS estimates, bears approached residential areas in more than 40 Russian regions in 2026. The most difficult situation was reported in Eastern Siberia, where bears came near schools and military units; in the north of the region, they tried to enter private homes.
More than 30 people have been killed in bear attacks in Russia in recent months. One reason for the animals’ behavior is a poor crop of cedar pine cones, their main food source.
