A brown bear has been spotted roaming near the Karymshinsky hot springs in the Kamchatka Peninsula, prompting safety warnings for visitors to the area. The thermal springs are situated in a remote section of the Yelizovsky District – approximately 90 kilometers from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky – and remain a popular destination for tourists seeking mineral waters.
While unexpected wildlife encounters are common in the remote regions of the peninsula, recent evidence shows a bear actively wandering through a tourist camp. The animal was likely attracted by food waste left behind by previous visitors. Travelers in the area are advised to exercise heightened vigilance, properly dispose of organic matter, and secure all provisions.
This sighting follows a fatal wildlife conflict in the region. On the night of June 15, a bear killed a 50-year-old fisherman near the village of Zaporozhye in the Ust-Bolsheretsky District. Law enforcement officers and a volunteer hunter subsequently tracked and shot the animal involved in that attack.