Bear mauls man to death in Russia’s Far East

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - A bear mauled a man to death in Russia’s Far East, state media reported early Monday.

Russian state news agency RIA reported, citing the head of the Magadan region’s Hunting Department, that a human body with signs of an attack by a wild animal was found on a forest road near the village of Verkhnii Seimchan, located about 5,700 kilometers (3,542 miles) from the capital Moscow.

“According to our information, the man, a 41-year-old resident, was returning from fishing. His car broke down, and he decided to go on foot at night,” Elena Slobodanyuk said, adding that it is extremely unsafe to go into the forest area at night.

The report further quoted the official as saying that Russia’s Investigative Committee in the region is probing the man’s death.

It also quoted her as saying that examinations of the body showed signs of attacks by a brown bear.

The report added that several bear attacks occurred in the Magadan region last year, with three people having died as a result.

“The number of predators in the region has grown significantly in recent years, and there is a need to reduce the population,” it said, adding that more than a hundred bears in the region have been killed by gamekeepers since the beginning of spring.​​​​​​​