In the city of Ridder, East Kazakhstan Region (EKR), specialists have stepped up surveys of the area following new cases of bears appearing on allotment plots and in the private sector. Three crews of inspectors from the forestry and hunting rapid response unit have been deployed to the city.
WHY BEARS ARE COMING OUT TOWARDS RESIDENTIAL AREAS
According to the Telegram channel "HALYQSTAN", specialists are surveying the city, its suburbs, forested areas and surrounding territories. To locate the animals, inspectors are using drones, thermal imaging devices and rifles.
In the Sharavka area, a CCTV camera captured a bear that made its way onto a local resident's property at night. The man tried to scare the animal away with noise, but the bear only left the apple tree after a bright light was switched on.
Residents of the allotment plots report that a bear has been spotted in this area since mid-August. One Ridder resident, Galina, had the animal smash through her fence and break an apple tree.
WHERE SPECIALISTS ARE ALREADY SEARCHING FOR BEARS
The forestry and hunting rapid response unit confirmed that specialists are already in Ridder and have begun their work. Given the large number of bears, three crews of inspectors have been sent to the city.
The first group has already surveyed the territory of the "Kazakhstan" gardening society, the Third Residential District of "Botanika", and the area of Pikhtovka forestry. The akimat has also reported that another group of specialists was due to arrive in Ridder on 2 September.
HOW INSPECTORS ARE SURVEYING THE TERRITORIES
Since bears come out to feed mainly at night, specialists are using thermal imaging devices to survey forested areas and territories adjacent to residential districts.
It is noted that ahead of the cold weather, the animals are searching for food more actively. In particular, bears are damaging vegetable gardens and climbing onto plots where they find apples.
CONTEXT
Earlier, a 58-year-old Ridder resident survived an attack by a bear, sustaining serious injuries. This incident came amid increasingly frequent reports of bears appearing in towns, villages and allotment areas in the EKR.
In 2025, the Ministry of Ecology reported record growth 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 limits on bear culling could be changed depending on the biological justification. Meanwhile, residents of certain settlements in the Abai region have already reported bears appearing near homes and cases of attacks on livestock.
