A woman on a camping trip with her fiancé was fatally attacked by a brown bear in Russia's Altai Mountains. The incident occurred early in the morning when a bear reportedly tore open the couple's tent and dragged the woman, identified as 29-year-old Snezhana Korolyova, from their campsite.
According to reports, the bear carried Korolyova across the Biya River and began to bury her in the forest. Her fiancé, who had proposed to her the day before the attack, was present during the incident. Efforts by other campers and local gamekeepers to distract the animal were unsuccessful. Authorities fired shots into the air to try and deter the bear, but reportedly did not aim at the animal due to regulations prohibiting shooting in populated areas.
Korolyova, originally from Russia's Novosibirsk region and educated as a lawyer, was staying at the Istok holiday campsite in Artybash village, located by Lake Teletskoye. Locals have noted an increase in bear activity in the area, with approximately 20 bears reportedly roaming near the village. Another local resident reported a near-miss with the same bear the previous night, where her sister was saved by a passing motorist who used car headlights to scare the animal away.
Following the attack, a ten-day 'state of high alert' was declared in the village, prohibiting tourists from pitching tents in forested areas and along the shore. The bear remains at large.
A representative from the Mayminsky District Society of Hunters and Fishermen suggested that a shortened hunting season has led to an increase in the bear population, contributing to a scarcity of food and a greater likelihood of human encounters. The Altai Republic prosecutor's office has opened an inquiry into Korolyova's death. Korolyova was employed by Russia's Emergencies Ministry.