The largest number of brown bears in the region is concentrated in the Moscow region

The largest number of brown bears are concentrated in the northern and northwestern regions of the Moscow region, including Mozhaisky, Shakhovskoy, Taldomsky and Volokolamsk districts.

As of 2026, about 80 brown bears may live in the forests near Moscow, of which about 30–40 individuals live permanently, and the same number come temporarily from neighboring regions.

Bears come closer to holiday villages and SNT in search of food and because of unauthorized dumps.

MOSCOW, September 30 – RIA Novosti. The largest number of brown bears in the Moscow region is concentrated in the northern and northwestern regions, including Mozhaisky, Shakhovsky, Taldomsky and Volokolamsk districts, Dmitry Fedorov, candidate of biological sciences, member of the public council of Rosprirodnadzor, told RIA Novosti.

Earlier, he told the agency that as of 2026, about 80 brown bears could live in the forests near Moscow. At the same time, about 30-40 individuals live in the Moscow region permanently, but the same number come temporarily from the Tver, Smolensk and Kaluga regions.

“The northern and northwestern regions have the largest number of bears located near Moscow. Thus, predators are recorded in the Mozhaisk, Shakhovsky, Taldom and Volokolamsk districts,” Fedorov said.

According to him, hunters, fishermen and mushroom pickers regularly see bear traces near Klin, near the village of Dukhanino and in Istra. In addition, predators periodically appear beyond Mozhaisk, in Lukhovitsy and Shakhovskaya, as well as in the Odintsovo district.

He noted that animals come closer to holiday villages and SNT in search of food and because of unauthorized dumps.

The Russian Ministry of Natural Resources previously reported to RIA Novosti that the number of brown bears in Russia has increased by more than 2.3 times since 1990 and amounts to 307.9 thousand individuals. At the same time, the most significant territorial groups of brown bears are concentrated in Siberia and the Far East. According to Alexey Vaisman, deputy editor-in-chief of the magazine "Hunting and Hunting Management", the real number of brown bears in Russia is higher than official data, since the accounting methods used do not give an accurate result.