Society News

How to Avoid Bear Encounters in the Forest, According to a LizaAlert Instructor

October 6, 2026Carlos Mendoza1 мин

Bears generally prefer to avoid human encounters in the forest. Making noise – by talking loudly, singing, or using a whistle – can help prevent accidental meetings with these wild animals, according to Ekaterina Razzhigaeva, an instructor with the LizaAlert search and rescue squad.

"As a rule, wild animals immediately detect a person entering the forest. The forest is their home, and they try to avoid meeting people," Razzhigaeva stated.

She noted that accidental encounters with wild animals are usually rare. However, the number of bears venturing near people has increased recently.

"When the risk of encountering a predator rises, our main recommendation is to constantly make noise and signal your presence in the forest: talk loudly, sing songs. If you are lost, you need to make active noise, shout, and use a whistle," the instructor added.

Recent data indicates at least 22 fatal bear attacks on humans in Russia since spring. Two incidents occurred in Buryatia, three in Kamchatka, and one each in the Khabarovsk Territory, Vologda Oblast, and Tuva. Seven people died in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, three each in the Irkutsk and Tomsk Oblasts, and one person in the Altai Republic.