A heightened state of readiness has been declared in Bratsk, Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, amid an increase in bears venturing into the city and surrounding areas, Bratsk Mayor Alexander Dubrovin has said.

He said that all reports of bear sightings are being recorded by the relevant services and handled in accordance with established procedures, but the situation remains tense, The Caspian Post reports, citing Russian media.

“Reports of bears appearing in proximity to residential areas have become more frequent,” he wrote.

Earlier, a woman in Russia’s Krasnoyarsk Krai discovered four bears on her property.

The incident took place in the village of Epishino. The woman contacted police, and officers arrived at the scene along with a representative of a local hunting organisation. The animals were deemed a threat to people and were killed.

According to biologist Ilya Gomyranov, increased bear activity in autumn is associated with the animals’ need to gain weight before entering hibernation. Therefore, bears attempt to find as much food as possible.

The expert also believes that the number of encounters between people and bears has increased because people are venturing into forests more frequently in autumn to collect mushrooms.