ULAN BATOR, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- A bear attacked and killed 63 sheep and goats belonging to a herder in western Mongolia, local media reported on Monday, citing the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.
The incident occurred in Bugat soum (an administrative subdivision) last Friday. Hunters later shot and killed the bear as it attempted to flee, the ministry said.
Bear sightings in and around residential areas across Mongolia have been reported over recent months, prompting authorities to urge the public to remain vigilant and take precautions to reduce the risk of encounters.
Earlier in October, a man in his 40s was killed and a woman in her 50s was seriously injured in a bear attack in Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia. In a separate incident last week, a 35-year-old herder was injured in a bear attack in the northern province of Darkhan-Uul.
Experts say encounters between bears and livestock, as well as bear sightings in residential areas, have become increasingly common over recent years.
They attribute the trend to several factors, including climate change, food shortage in bears' natural habitats and the overexploitation of natural resources. ■