Sunflowers lure bears to villages in East Kazakhstan

Since the 2000s, farmers in the region have been more actively sowing sunflowers and buckwheat, and large fields have become an accessible food source for wild animals. Bears are particularly attracted to ripe sunflower seeds: in the fields, the animals gain fat before hibernation and do not venture far into the forest. Some of the crops are located near settlements.

The second reason, according to the specialist, is that bears are hunted less frequently. Demand for bear meat, hides, and bile has declined, along with the incentive to hunt the animal. 'Bears have practically stopped fearing humans,' notes Cherepanov.