Bear encounters in the Murmansk region: expert advice on safety and behavior
Survival expert Eduard Khalilov weighed in on a video showing a tourist frightening a group of wild bears in the mountains of the Murmansk region. He noted that while yelling can sometimes startle bears, in other situations staying still may be the wiser choice. The expert emphasized that bears do not always attack people because they do not view humans as food.
According to Khalilov, a bear does not always aim to kill and eat a person. In Kamchatka, bears graze much like cattle, while people fish nearby. Bears can be ten or thirty meters away from people and may become incidental observers rather than predators. When a bear and a person meet suddenly, the animal detects danger and may retreat. If the encounter happens abruptly, the bear could feel threatened and respond defensively to protect itself and its family. The video in question showed a person shouting and fleeing, which is one possible reaction but does not guarantee the same outcome for every future encounter. Sometimes a calm freeze is the recommended response. Bears rely more on smell and hearing than sight; a bear’s sense of smell is acute, and wind direction can influence whether the bear notices a person at a distance of several meters.
Khalilov stressed that every bear encounter should be treated as a unique incident. The animal’s perception of a person’s actions can vary, and certain movements may be interpreted as threats.
Bears have a duty to protect their cubs, and accidental contact with humans is not typical. They can view a person as a threat and react aggressively to defend their territory. If a person runs, the impulse to chase may kick in. Shouting, waving arms, or grabbing sticks can be seen as signs of a larger, dangerous presence. In many cases, such signals cause the bears to retreat.
The expert also noted that bears may come near tourist camps. If a bear finds food in these areas, it may defend the territory when it encounters people. Curiosity can bring bears to camps, but movement and conversation from people often drive them away. While bears are powerful masters of the taiga, they can still become frightened. In some situations, scavenging bears that visit camps or landfills learn that easy food is available from humans, and this can lead to more frequent sightings near people. When food is readily accessible, a bear might forsake the wild search for food and focus on human-provided sources, which can escalate conflicts over territory and food stability.
A video surfaced showing a man yelling at a bear family in the Khibiny region of Murmansk. The disturbance reportedly caused the bears to flee, and the man later admitted that his voice gave out during the incident.
There is a broader lesson for visitors: bear behavior is influenced by access to food and by how people act near them. Understanding that bears are cautious and responsive to human presence can reduce risky encounters, and following recommended safety guidelines can help ensure that both people and bears remain safe in these wild regions.