Ecological Imbalance Is Driving Bear Encounters in Mongolia

Por Bolor Lkhaajav — The Diplomat

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As of early October, the Mongolian authorities have received 754 calls reporting bear sightings in various provinces and towns.

In recent months, Mongolia has experienced rare bear sightings in its northern provinces. Local authorities have so far been successful in capturing the bears alive and placing the animals back into their natural habitat. The sudden movement of such a large number of bears indicates a deeper ecological imbalance not only in Mongolia but also Russia and Japan. 

As of early October, the Mongolian authorities have received 754 calls reporting bear sightings in various provinces and towns. Solo bears, bears with cubs, and lost cubs have been sighted. More alarmingly, bears have encountered nomadic herders, killing one person and injuring several others. People from remote towns and herding communities have reported attacks on livestock. Most of these bears encounters have been reported in Khuvgsul, Bulgan, Darkhan-Uul, and Tuv provinces – all Mongolia’s northern provinces with robust habitat for bears, wolves, elk, deer, and wild boars.   

The sudden surge and the possible migration of bears clearly demonstrate the changing environment in their natural habitat. Khuvsgul, Bulgan, and Darkhan Uul provinces are 51 percent forest and considered a perfect habitat for bears. Mongolia’s boreal forests, known as taiga, offer cedar and pine nuts, types of berries, and water access for bears. In the fall, particularly in the months of August, September, and October, bears forage throughout the taiga with their cubs in preparation for hibernation. 

The increased movement of these bear populations points to several issues in Mongolia’s ecological system. One of the speculated causes is a shortage of food. Mongolia’s extreme weather fluctuations, including shorter summers with amplified heatwaves, can impact vegetation and dry out grasslands. Particularly in Khuvsgul and Bulgan, given the short summer, there is a risk of shortage of berries and nuts. 

In addition, Khuvsgul and Selenge provinces hold one of Mongolia’s critical river basins, which is crucial to the forestry and its natural habitat. One of the remaining questions concerning bear movements is whether these river basins and other water sources are experiencing a fish shortage, caused by climate change and mining activities. 

Given the pristine nature of Northern Mongolia, these provinces are subject to strict environmental scrutiny and protection. Still, mining does occur. Bulgan Province, in particular, is known for its extractive industries, including gold and polymetallic mining (although in comparison to other notable extractive sites, the scale of mining in Bulgan is relatively moderate). 

According to the World Resources Institute , Mongolia’s gold rush has become one of the leading sources of water contamination. Gold extraction sites particularly are a major issue for the local environment. “ Lead, arsenic and other toxic chemicals released during gold extraction processes have leached into Mongolia’s groundwater and flowed untreated into rivers,” the WRI found. 

Thus Mongolia’s bear sightings may be related to the country’s mining activities, along with extreme weather aggravated by climate change-caused food shortages. In response, the government and conservation groups are taking a humane approach. Local authorities and the population continue to capture bears and place them back into the wild. 

In comparison, Russia and Japan, both experiencing a similar bear issue, are handling it very differently.   

In Russia’s Far East, in the Siberian forests, the bear population thrives. This October, local authorities in Siberia (Krasnoyarsk), Tuva, and Buryatia reported a surge of bears entering local towns and villages. In Buryatia, the local authority has deployed 24 specialized teams to kill bears. With Russian authorities allowing an “ open season ,” bear killings will likely increase. 

In 2025, the Environmental Ministry of Japan reported a historic surge in bear sightings and attacks, during which more than 14,600 bears were killed. The ministry believed that “ climate change and poor tree-nut harvests have reduced natural food supplies in the mountains.” The ministry also highlighted that around 12,000 brown bears in Hokkaido and Asiatic black bears elsewhere have expanded their roaming range. 

While Northeast Asia faces a shared ecological challenge in conserving bear populations and managing their movements, Mongolia, Russia, and Japan have adopted vastly different approaches. Mongolia emphasizes strict legal protections and non-lethal management whereas Russia and Japan both have implemented aggressive population control methods. 

According to Rebecca Watters, founder and director of the Mongolian Wolverine Project and a biologist, bears are attracted to any kind of predictable food source. Once they associate people with food – in the form of garbage, livestock, gardens, birdfeeders, etc. – they will continue to seek out human settlements. 

In Mongolia’s case specifically, she added, “I wonder too whether some of the increase in sightings and conflict is due to population shifts, in both people and the bears. Paradoxically, some of these issues might also be related to conservation successes and more bears cubs surviving.” 

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In recent months, Mongolia has experienced rare bear sightings in its northern provinces. Local authorities have so far been successful in capturing the bears alive and placing the animals back into their natural habitat. The sudden movement of such a large number of bears indicates a deeper ecological imbalance not only in Mongolia but also Russia and Japan. 

As of early October, the Mongolian authorities have received 754 calls reporting bear sightings in various provinces and towns. Solo bears, bears with cubs, and lost cubs have been sighted. More alarmingly, bears have encountered nomadic herders, killing one person and injuring several others. People from remote towns and herding communities have reported attacks on livestock. Most of these bears encounters have been reported in Khuvgsul, Bulgan, Darkhan-Uul, and Tuv provinces – all Mongolia’s northern provinces with robust habitat for bears, wolves, elk, deer, and wild boars.   

The sudden surge and the possible migration of bears clearly demonstrate the changing environment in their natural habitat. Khuvsgul, Bulgan, and Darkhan Uul provinces are 51 percent forest and considered a perfect habitat for bears. Mongolia’s boreal forests, known as taiga, offer cedar and pine nuts, types of berries, and water access for bears. In the fall, particularly in the months of August, September, and October, bears forage throughout the taiga with their cubs in preparation for hibernation. 

The increased movement of these bear populations points to several issues in Mongolia’s ecological system. One of the speculated causes is a shortage of food. Mongolia’s extreme weather fluctuations, including shorter summers with amplified heatwaves, can impact vegetation and dry out grasslands. Particularly in Khuvsgul and Bulgan, given the short summer, there is a risk of shortage of berries and nuts. 

In addition, Khuvsgul and Selenge provinces hold one of Mongolia’s critical river basins, which is crucial to the forestry and its natural habitat. One of the remaining questions concerning bear movements is whether these river basins and other water sources are experiencing a fish shortage, caused by climate change and mining activities. 

Given the pristine nature of Northern Mongolia, these provinces are subject to strict environmental scrutiny and protection. Still, mining does occur. Bulgan Province, in particular, is known for its extractive industries, including gold and polymetallic mining (although in comparison to other notable extractive sites, the scale of mining in Bulgan is relatively moderate). 

According to the World Resources Institute , Mongolia’s gold rush has become one of the leading sources of water contamination. Gold extraction sites particularly are a major issue for the local environment. “ Lead, arsenic and other toxic chemicals released during gold extraction processes have leached into Mongolia’s groundwater and flowed untreated into rivers,” the WRI found. 

Thus Mongolia’s bear sightings may be related to the country’s mining activities, along with extreme weather aggravated by climate change-caused food shortages. In response, the government and conservation groups are taking a humane approach. Local authorities and the population continue to capture bears and place them back into the wild. 

In comparison, Russia and Japan, both experiencing a similar bear issue, are handling it very differently.   

In Russia’s Far East, in the Siberian forests, the bear population thrives. This October, local authorities in Siberia (Krasnoyarsk), Tuva, and Buryatia reported a surge of bears entering local towns and villages. In Buryatia, the local authority has deployed 24 specialized teams to kill bears. With Russian authorities allowing an “ open season ,” bear killings will likely increase. 

In 2025, the Environmental Ministry of Japan reported a historic surge in bear sightings and attacks, during which more than 14,600 bears were killed. The ministry believed that “ climate change and poor tree-nut harvests have reduced natural food supplies in the mountains.” The ministry also highlighted that around 12,000 brown bears in Hokkaido and Asiatic black bears elsewhere have expanded their roaming range. 

While Northeast Asia faces a shared ecological challenge in conserving bear populations and managing their movements, Mongolia, Russia, and Japan have adopted vastly different approaches. Mongolia emphasizes strict legal protections and non-lethal management whereas Russia and Japan both have implemented aggressive population control methods. 

According to Rebecca Watters, founder and director of the Mongolian Wolverine Project and a biologist, bears are attracted to any kind of predictable food source. Once they associate people with food – in the form of garbage, livestock, gardens, birdfeeders, etc. – they will continue to seek out human settlements. 

In Mongolia’s case specifically, she added, “I wonder too whether some of the increase in sightings and conflict is due to population shifts, in both people and the bears. Paradoxically, some of these issues might also be related to conservation successes and more bears cubs surviving.” 

Bolor Lkhaajav is a researcher specializing in Mongolia, China, Russia, Japan, East Asia, and the Americas. She holds an M.A. in Asia-Pacific Studies from the University of San Francisco.

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Fonte: The Diplomat