Built from a line of volcanoes, the Kuril Island chain stretches from the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia to northern Japan. In the northern Kurils, Paramushir Island is large, built by several volcanoes over a massive stretch of time.
The Kamchatka, or “Far Eastern” brown bear is known to inhabit the Kuril Islands, in addition to portions of far eastern Russia and the Kamchatka Peninsula. They are the largest of the Eurasian brown bears, stretching to nearly 8 feet in length and reaching weights above 1,500 pounds.
Bear attacks on humans are rare, but they can happen and they’re often serious or deadly. Keeping the animal calm is often the key to staying safe around grizzly bears. Chasing the animal on a snowmobile until it turns around and attempts to strike, as these Russian fishermen did, is not recommended.
