Four female bears with cubs born this year are currently fishing at Kuril Lake. Following a drop in the water level of the protected reservoir within the South Kamchatka Sanctuary, the females began bringing their six-month-old offspring to the area. The observed groups currently consist of two females with three cubs each, one with two cubs, and another with a single cub.
At the Ozerny ranger station, wildlife personnel regularly observe one female with three cubs arriving from Severnaya Bay. The mother leaves the young bears on the shore while she enters the water to catch fish. The cubs remain highly dependent, frequently approaching her in the water and disrupting the fishing process. The female exhibits strong protective behavior, rapidly driving away any other bears that approach her offspring.
The primary attractant for bears at Kuril Lake is the abundance of sockeye salmon. The lake serves as the reproduction site for the largest population of this Pacific salmon species in Asia. Sockeye salmon act as a keystone species – a vital resource that ensures the stability of the entire ecosystem in southern Kamchatka.