our Grizzly is tough but - - - -

[ensho]

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index.php?smp=&lang=eng


Area: Russia, Koryakskoye Nagor\'ye, Olyutor Range / Kamchatka,

Description:

A brown bear killed two geologists in the northeast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, in Russia's Far East. The incident occurred in the Olyutor Range, in Kamchatka's Koryak Autonomous Area. "According to preliminary information, both victims were specialists based with a geological field party working for KoryakGeolDobycha," the spokesman said A team of police officers has flown to the scene in a helicopter. The Kamchatka brown bear is one of the world's largest bear species, weighing around 700 kg (1,500 pounds), and with body length of 3 meters (10 feet).
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this report is interesting in more ways then one

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

1. In What Ways Is It Interesting?

Just seems like a bear attack, much like any other bear attack here. Is there more that makes this notable?

[uppityperson]

2. that is a good sized bear. What do you find interesting? (average kill 3 people/yr)

I wonder if they are closely related with AK bears, what with the land bridge and all. (googling shows a bunch on these bears, interesting)

Another article. On average, kill 3 people/yr?:
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20080718/114314551.html

Bear fatally mauls two geologists in Russia's Far East

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, July 18 (RIA Novosti) - A brown bear killed two geologists in the northeast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, in Russia's Far East, a local emergencies spokesman said on Friday. The incident occurred in the Olyutor Range, in Kamchatka's Koryak Autonomous Area.

"According to preliminary information, both victims were specialists based with a geological field party working for KoryakGeolDobycha," the spokesman said A team of police officers has flown to the scene in a helicopter.

The Kamchatka brown bear is one of the world's largest bear species, weighing around 700 kg (1,500 pounds), and with body length of 3 meters (10 feet).

Around 16,000 bears currently inhabit the region, and on average kill three people per year. According to Russia's agricultural regulator Rosselkhoznadzor, the local bear population is on the rise.

Edited to add: search shows a couple books/articles by people who "lived with the bears" of Kamchatka, and this one about traveling there and viewing wildlife: http://www.travelkamchatka.com/animalworld.htm

Europeans, who first appeared in Kamchatka in the 18th century, were stunned with the extensive number of brown bears. Their size was terrifying, but the local bears, unlike their Siberian relatives, happened to be quite harmless. Perhaps the reason of Kamchatka bears' peaceful personality is their fish 'diet' that they prefer to the meat one. Since the dawn of times, ample salmon has been the basic food for the Master of Kamchatka, and the major source of fat stocks that allowed bears to survive through the long Kamchatka's winter.

Even though after winter hibernation bears are very hungry, they still do not represent a threat to the warm-blooded species, except for ground squirrels, which bears sometimes dig right out from of the winter burrow. It may seem incredible, but the huge predator follows an almost exclusively vegetarian diet for several months before the rivers are full of fish. In July you can observe an idyllic picture of bears grazing like domestic cattle in the forest's berry fields and in the coastal tundra. Kamchatka's bears are pragmatic and cowardly. They are easily satisfied and save themselves from a lot of trouble that bears in the Siberian taiga face. This is why nine in ten Kamchatka bears prefer to run away from a potentially dangerous situation.

If you are serious in your intention to meet a Kamchatka's bear, forget a fairy-tale image of a foolish bumpkin. This is an animal of enormous strength and endurance, excellent reaction, and exact movements. Its teeth break a bone of any size, its claws can shift boulders, it can climb almost vertical slopes, and sit in the icy water for hours. Bears are wonderful swimmers, they can catch up with a horse at a short distance. Though bears can not run long distances, they are the first-class walkers that can cover a good hundred kilometers a day. The only thing is that bears can't do very well is climb trees: they are presumably too heavy for it...

[ensho]

3. I was more interested in the geologists

nt

[uppityperson]

5. Koryakgeoldobycha, platinum mining.

http://www.renova.ru/eng/businesses/bus_dir_1/bus_1_9/

Koryakgeoldobycha conducts the mining operations in the Galmoenan ore field in Koryak autonomous district. The company has mined more than 45 tons of platinum for 14 years. Koryakgeoldobycha is among the top three producers of platinum in Russia.

[Edweird]

4. A grizzly bear is part of the brown bear family.

There are Siberian Browns that are very similar to our Grizzly. They both have common features with the Polar Bear. Magnificent creatures.