At least six people have been killed by brown bears in Russia's Siberian region of Krasnoyarsk Krai this month, prompting investigators to open a criminal negligence case against local officials, CBS News reported, citing Agence France-Presse. The most recent victim, a 39-year-old logger guarding machinery in the forest, was killed early Wednesday, Sept. 23, investigators said.

The concern extends beyond Krasnoyarsk. In the neighboring Republic of Khakassia, deputy regional head Dmitry Buchenik said Wednesday that bears had surrounded the forest town of Abaza, home to about 10,000 people. "The taiga town is effectively under siege by bears," he said, adding that some of the animals were chased off and three were killed.

The deaths come during autumn, when bears feed intensively before winter and are more likely to turn up near places where people live and work. For readers who hike, hunt or live near bear country, the Siberian cluster is a reminder to take fall precautions seriously.

Negligence Probe Targets Local Officials

The Investigative Committee branch covering Krasnoyarsk and Khakassia said six fatal brown bear attacks were recorded in September in the Yeniseysky, Sosnovoborsky and Yermakovsky municipal districts of Krasnoyarsk Krai, according to Anadolu Agency. Residents had submitted more than 120 reports of bear sightings across more than 15 districts, including the regional capital, Krasnoyarsk, the committee said.

Despite repeated warnings, the committee said, local authorities "failed to take measures to regulate the predator population" or keep bears out of inhabited areas. It opened a criminal case over negligence and said the investigation will include a legal assessment of officials responsible for responding to bears in populated areas.

These are allegations at the start of an investigation, not findings. Reports reviewed by Nature World News did not identify any charges or name the officials under review.

Local media reported that the bodies of two pensioners were found mauled in a forest near the remote town of Podtyosovo earlier this month, and that a 40-year-old factory worker was killed while walking through the forest on Sept. 6. Details of the other deaths in the committee's count have not been widely reported.

Bear Numbers Have Risen, but National Attack Counts Have Not

Russia's Ministry of Natural Resources estimates that the country's brown bear population has more than doubled since 1990, from about 130,000 to almost 308,000 in 2026. The ministry also says bear attacks nationwide have held roughly steady at 20 to 30 a year. A larger population can raise the odds of encounters, but the national figures alone do not show that attacks are becoming more frequent.

The Krasnoyarsk cluster stands out for its concentration. At least 14 people have been killed in bear attacks across Russia since the start of the year, according to a tally by The Moscow Times. Those deaths include two people killed this month while picking berries on the banks of the Lena River in Irkutsk region, separate from the Krasnoyarsk cases.

Unverified videos circulating on social media purport to show a bear swimming across a river beside Abaza and three bears crossing a road in front of cars. Their locations and dates have not been independently confirmed.

The Fall Feeding Season Behind Bear Encounters

Officials have not publicly identified why so many bears are entering settlements this year, and they have not linked the attacks to a specific food shortage or weather pattern. Any explanation beyond rising bear numbers remains unconfirmed.

What wildlife agencies do know is that autumn changes bear behavior. Before denning, bears enter hyperphagia, a period of intense eating to build fat for winter. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission explains that bears in this phase must find 20,000 calories a day or more and often forage outside their normal ranges, venturing near homes, campgrounds and trails. That guidance refers to American black bears, but brown bears also feed heavily before winter.

Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry says bears flee in the vast majority of encounters with people.

Lessons for Bear Country in the United States

Nothing in the Siberian reports points to added risk for U.S. residents, and fatal bear attacks in North America remain rare. The practical lesson is seasonal. Fall is when bears in many U.S. regions are most likely to turn up near homes, trails and campsites.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem have urged residents to secure trash, livestock feed, compost and beehives, store garbage in latched bear-resistant containers and take down bird feeders until winter. Those steps reduce the food rewards that draw bears into neighborhoods.

For hikers, hunters, and forest workers, standard advice from U.S. wildlife agencies is to travel in groups, make noise in thick cover, and carry bear spray where recommended and know how to use it. Hunters field-dressing game should stay alert, since carcasses attract bears. Keep dogs leashed on trails.

If a bear shows up in a yard, stay at a safe distance, and report bold or repeated visits to your state wildlife agency. A bear that shows no fear of people is a matter for professionals, not residents.

In Russia, the next steps are the Investigative Committee's findings and any response from regional governments in Krasnoyarsk and Khakassia.

The bottom line: six deaths in one Siberian region in a single month have triggered a criminal negligence probe, while officials next door describe a town ringed by bears. The cause of the cluster remains unsettled, and the clearest takeaway for readers elsewhere is to take bear precautions seriously wherever bears live.

What Readers Want to Know

How many people have bears killed in Siberia this month?

Russian investigators say six fatal brown bear attacks were recorded in September in three districts of Krasnoyarsk Krai. At least 14 people have died in bear attacks across Russia this year, according to a tally by The Moscow Times.

What does "under siege" refer to?

It is how Dmitry Buchenik, deputy head of neighboring Khakassia, described the town of Abaza after bears were reported around it overnight. Some bears were chased off, and three were killed.

Who is being investigated?

The Investigative Committee opened a criminal negligence case over local officials' alleged failure to control bear numbers and keep bears out of inhabited areas. No charges have been reported.

Is Russia's bear population growing?

Russia's natural resources ministry estimates that brown bears have increased from about 130,000 in 1990 to almost 308,000 in 2026, though it says attacks nationwide have held at about 20 to 30 per year.

Why are bears more active in the fall?

Bears enter hyperphagia before winter, eating far more than usual and often ranging outside their normal areas, which can bring them closer to homes, trails and campsites.

What should people in U.S. bear country do now?

Secure trash, animal feed and compost, take down bird feeders, hike in groups, carry bear spray where recommended and report bold or repeat bear visits to state wildlife officials.