Bear Runs In and Out of Russian Mall

There were no injuries reported from the incident.

The Investigative Committee, Russia’ main state investigative agency, have launched an investigation into the legitimacy of the police action. When it left the mall in Russian town of Khabarovsk, it headed for the crowds outside and then made its way to a playground, according to MSN News on October 15.

‘Police officers fired several times to kill the bear, because it was injured by the broken glass door and was a real danger to the life and health of citizens, ‘ said a spokesman.

Local police said the bear eventually managed to escape and was tracked down and surrounded in the courtyard of a kindergarten.

Last month officials in Siberia said hungry brown bears were terrorising villagers as drought and wildfires forced the animals to search for food closer to built-up areas.

Natalya Kovalenko, an animal rights activist, told Russian state-run website Vesti.ru that the bear, between 2 to 3 years old, was smoked out of the mall before it was shot.

Bears are becoming more popular in Khabarovsk.

As these bears have roamed into human territory, the number of bear sightings have increased to the point that local authorities considered it an emergency situation. In fact, in order to reach the Russian mall, the wild bear would have needed to swim across a 1.16-kilometer section of the Amur River.