[Regnum] Bear activity is forcing search and rescue teams to change their approach to forest operations: in dangerous areas, volunteers may refuse to go out or work with armed escorts. Oleg Leonov, a rescuer and coordinator of the LizaAlert search and rescue team, spokewith Regnum News Agency about this.
In the fall of 2026, due to bear activity, authorities and natural area administrators imposed restrictions in several regions of Russia. A state of heightened alert was in effect in the Irkutsk Region, with residents advised to limit their forest visits. In Krasnoyarsk Krai, Krasnoyarsk Stolby National Park was closed to visitors until approximately November 10, and in Buryatia, access to the ecological trails and tourist routes of Tunkinsky National Park was restricted until November 1. It was also previously reported that Zabaikalsky National Park would be closed to tourists.
The expert noted that in each specific case, the search and rescue team assesses the risks and decides whether the safety of the participants can be ensured.
"If a specific location poses a danger to searchers, our priority is the safety of the rescuers. Naturally, people don't go there, or they go accompanied by armed personnel, such as hunters. If security can't be provided, then we don't work for now," the agency's source explained.
The rescuer noted that it's not necessary to abandon the search entirely due to wild animal activity. If a person goes missing in a forest where there's a high risk of encountering a bear, the team will look for ways to organize its work in a way that protects the volunteers while simultaneously continuing the search.
"People still need to be rescued. We're not sitting around waiting for bears to hibernate," Leonov emphasized.
Drones, aircraft, and helicopters can also be used in searches. However, aerial reconnaissance cannot completely replace ground teams.
"Not all work can be done from the air. Therefore, this is only one tool, of course," the expert clarified.
He added that if the missing person remains in contact, rescuers can help them escape the forest. According to Leonov, the team is capable of organizing a forest rescue anywhere in Russia.
Grigory Sergeev, head of the LizaAlert search and rescue team, previously reported that volunteer search teams in certain regions of Russia are forced to suspend operations due to the detection of additional bear threats. He noted that the mere presence of a bear in the forest is not enough to halt operations; the animal's behavioral characteristics, including the presence of cubs and its habituation to humans, are also taken into account.