ULAN BATOR, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Bear sightings in and around residential areas across Mongolia have continued in recent months, with authorities warning the public to remain vigilant and take precautions to reduce potential risks.
Videos showing bears entering or damaging traditional Mongolian round-shaped dwellings, known as gers, and houses, as well as attacking livestock in several provinces, have also gone viral on social media, highlighting the growing impact of human-bear encounters on local communities.
More recently, several bear sightings have been reported in the capital, Ulan Bator, prompting authorities to urge residents to exercise caution and take necessary precautions to protect themselves and others.
In the eastern province of Khentii, at least 192 bear sightings have been reported since late August, according to the provincial department of environment.
On Monday, in Khairkhan soum, an administrative subdivision in central Mongolia's Arkhangai province, a bear reportedly injured two of a herder's dogs and killed and ate eight goats.
Last week, in Tushig soum in the northern province of Selenge, a bear reportedly killed eight cattle and one calf belonging to a local herder.
Experts say encounters between bears and livestock, as well as bear sightings in residential areas, have increased in recent years. They attribute the trend to several factors, including climate change, food shortages in bears' natural habitats, and the overexploitation of natural resources. ■
