Authorities in the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in Russia’s Far East have launched night patrols to address a growing number of bears roaming the area, the city’s mayor announced Monday.
“Our city has never faced bears wandering into town like this,” acting Mayor Yevgeny Belyayev said. “It’s important to ensure the safety of the residents of the city, who are lucky enough to live side by side with wildlife.”
Belyayev met with one of the seven patrol groups formed to respond to residents’ increasing reports of bear encounters. “The group is on night duty and uses a thermal imaging drone to search for animals in the dark,” he wrote on social media.
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which is the capital city of the far-flung Kamchatka peninsula, has been on “high alert” for potential bear incursions since Friday.
The Kamchatka regional government has reported over 450 bear sightings this season, with 30 bears killed in the past week alone. One fatal bear attack, which claimed the life of a 38-year-old fisherman, was reported this year.
Kamchatka is home to around 24,500 bears.
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