Bear kills man and seriously injures woman in ger attack near Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Mixed · 2A bear killed a man in his 40s and seriously injured a woman in her 50s in their home on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia's capital, on Wednesday night. 1 2 Centre · 1Police said it happened in the Bayanzurkh district, in a ger, the traditional Mongolian nomadic tent-like dwelling. 1 Mixed · 2The woman fled and raised the alarm with neighbours. She is being treated in hospital in a serious condition, according to Munkhbayar M, a city official (described by CBS as the city's environment department chief). 1 2

Mixed · 2A team of rangers is searching for the bear. CBS reports the team has 35 rangers and is trying to locate and kill the animal, and officials have urged locals to be vigilant and report sightings. 1 2 Mixed · 2Munkhbayar said there have been 24 bear sightings near the capital this year, against two in 2018. CBS adds that there was one in 2019. 1 2 Left · 1CBS reports 754 sightings nationwide in 11 provinces and the capital in 2026, 80% involving cubs or females with cubs. Investigations are under way into the cause of the rise. 2

Centre · 1The BBC links the rise to causes including climate change and food scarcity, and says videos of bears entering or damaging gers and attacking livestock have reportedly gone viral on Mongolian social media in recent weeks. 1 Left · 1Authorities have issued bear-hunting permits across eight provinces and are seeking tranquilliser dart guns for rangers in rural areas. A ministry official, Baljinnyam N, said a bear hunted in Khentii province had an empty stomach, and in September the authorities banned this year's harvesting of nuts and berries from mountainous areas. 2 Left · 1CBS places the attack in a wider regional pattern, citing at least six deaths in Russia's Krasnoyarsk region in a month and a record 13 bear-related deaths in Japan last year. 2