Nature reserves and tourist trails closed due to the approach of bears in Buryatia

This came amid a worsening situation caused by bears leaving their natural habitats and approaching residential areas.

This decision follows previous warnings issued by the Head of the Republic, Alexei Tsydenov, who described the phenomenon of bear proliferation as an "anomaly," calling for immediate restrictions on organizing children's events in forested areas.

The closure decision included popular trails and reserves, most notably the path leading to the 33-meter-tall statue of "Buddha" in the Khudaksky Reserve, as well as the Mamay Natural Park and the Enkhaluksky Reserve located on the shores of Lake Baikal.

In this regard, the "Burpriroda" agency confirmed that all previously granted permits to visit these areas have become void, with a temporary suspension of new approval issuance services until further notice.

The agency explained that these reserves represent the original habitat of wild animals, pointing out that bears are currently protecting their feeding grounds in preparation for their long winter hibernation, making their reactions to the presence of humans entirely unpredictable, emphasizing that "human life and health remain the absolute priority."

As part of ongoing precautionary measures, the Republic's Service for Supervision and Oversight of the Use of Animal Resources (Burprirodnadzor) reported that state inspection teams continue their rotation operations in these areas.

Additionally, 24 specialized teams of hunters trained to deal with bears have been deployed across 12 regions experiencing the highest rates of bear sightings, to ensure close monitoring of the situation and avoid any potential contact with residents or visitors.