Startled by What Grandmother Held... Russian Bear Runs Away

Russian Grandmother Chased Bear with Stone
"Chased Bear Like Chasing a Dog" Interview Gains Attention

A video of a Russian grandmother scaring away a bear with a single stone during a walk has been released, becoming a global sensation.

A Russian grandmother holding a stone in her hand and chasing a bear.
Photo by X Galmuri

On the 23rd (local time), the local media 'Komsomolskaya Pravda' reported that Olga Prokopenko (70), who lives in Orotukan, Russia, encountered a bear while walking in the forest on the 22nd. On the morning of the incident, there were eyewitness reports that "a bear appeared near the village school," but Olga, being elderly, was unaware of this and went for her walk as usual.

In the video, Olga, who was strolling through a densely wooded forest, is startled by a suddenly appearing bear. The bear was a large adult, towering over Olga's height, and approached her closely, raising its front paw in a threatening manner. It was a dangerous situation where her life was at immediate risk.

However, Olga overcame her fear and responded calmly. Without averting her eyes from the bear, she picked up a stone from the ground and swiftly swung her hand holding the stone toward the bear. The bear seemed startled by Olga's action, hesitated, got scared, and retreated back into the forest.

A Russian grandmother holding a stone in her hand, chasing a bear.
Photo by X Galmuri

The video became a major topic on various social networking services (SNS). In an interview with local media, Olga said, "I am not such a brave person." Regarding the encounter with the bear, she explained, "I thought running away would be useless because the bear would chase me. I tried to scare the bear away by picking up a stone, just like chasing away a dog, and fortunately, it worked. I felt good when the bear ran away."

Meanwhile, unlike lions or tigers among large predators, bears have a large population and mainly inhabit the Northern Hemisphere regions such as Europe, Asia, and North America, where human populations are dense. Bears that threaten humans are mainly sun bears (20?80 kg) or Asian black bears (40?140 kg). In Korea, due to bear restoration projects and the geographical characteristics of the Korean Peninsula, Asian black bears are the most common. They are especially frequently sighted in places like Jirisan National Park.