A 58-year-old resident of Ridder survived a bear attack, sustaining serious injuries. The incident came amid an increasing number of reports of bears appearing in towns, villages and allotment areas in the East Kazakhstan Region (EKR).
HOW THE ATTACK HAPPENED
According to the Telegram channel "HALYQSTAN", the attack took place near a local taiga lodge in the Ridder area, which is popular with tourists. According to eyewitnesses, 58-year-old beekeeper Ivan came face to face with a bear, after which the animal inflicted serious injuries on him.
The territory of the West Altai State Nature Reserve is nearby, where tourist routes also run.
WHAT INJURIES THE MAN SUSTAINED
According to the Ridder City Hospital, the victim suffered extensive lacerations and bite wounds to the scalp, as well as open displaced fractures of his limbs.
Two companions helped the man fight off the bear and survive. After that, the animal ran away, and the injured resident of Ridder was taken to hospital. He is now at home.
FIRST CASE IN TWO DECADES
Deputy Chief of the Forest and Hunting Management Rapid Response Unit Sergey Karmannikov said this is the first case of a bear attacking a human in the EKR he is aware of in his twenty years working in forestry.
At the same time, residents of the EKR continue to report bears appearing in populated areas, the private sector and gardening communities.
WHERE BEARS HAVE BEEN SPOTTED
The most recent reports came from the Altai district, the settlement of Poperechnoye in the city of Serebryansk, the village of Ulken Naryn and the village of Asubulak in the Ulan district.
CCTV cameras also captured a bear near the pier in the area of the Ust-Kamenogorsk hydroelectric power station. Several more reports came from Ridder, where the animal was seen at allotments, as well as in the Second and Fourth districts of the city.
HOW INSPECTORS RESPOND TO REPORTS
According to Sergey Karmannikov, inspectors are monitoring the situation near the hydroelectric power station in Ust-Kamenogorsk, checking nearby allotment areas and using drones to search for animals from the air.
Staff of the Forest and Hunting Management Rapid Response Unit scare bears away using firecrackers and bangers to drive them back into the forest from populated areas. Inspectors are also armed with rifles purchased last year.
Shooting a bear is used only as a last resort — in the event of a real threat of attack on people and aggressive behaviour by the animal.
CONTEXT
In 2025, the Ministry of Ecology reported a record increase in the brown bear population in East Kazakhstan. At that time, the region was home to around 4,500 individuals, with annual growth estimated at 50%.
Vice-Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Nurken Sharbiyev stated that bear culling limits could be changed depending on the biological justification. At the same time, residents of several settlements in the Abai region had already reported bears appearing near homes and cases of attacks on livestock.
