The key facts

  • The forensic examination ruled out a bear attack as the cause of death of the woman found on October 8 near the village of Lyazgino
  • A source cited by RIA Novosti says the woman died of hypothermia, and the wounds appeared after her death
  • In the Tomsk Region, the remains of a hunter bearing signs of an animal attack were previously found; a payment of 30,000 rubles has been introduced for killing dangerous bears

Expert examination refutes the bear theory

The body of a woman with numerous bodily injuries was found on October 8 on the side of a dirt road about two kilometers from the village of Lyazgino in the Tomsk District. The injuries resembled the marks of a bear attack, so a theory emerged that the predator was involved; however, investigators did not jump to conclusions and ordered a forensic medical examination. Its results, as the regional directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia reported on November 6, citing RIA Novosti, showed that“the woman died of natural causes. Her death is not connected to a predator attack.”

What the examination results showed

A source at the news agency familiar with the circumstances of the incident specified that the woman died of hypothermia, and the numerous injuries on her body appeared after death. Thus, the initial theory that she was a victim of a bear turned out to be mistaken: according to this version, the wounds were not sustained while she was alive. This explains why the outward picture at the site where the body was found was misleading and required an examination to reach a definitive conclusion.

Context: other incidents in the region

The case near Lyazgino is not the only bear-related episode in the Tomsk Region that media outlets have covered. In early November, a body with numerous marks of a predator attack was found in a forest near the settlement of Orekhovo; earlier, Life.ru reported on the discovery of a hunter's remains bearing signs of an animal attack, and local residents subsequently killed a bear they linked to the man's death. Against the backdrop of animals increasingly venturing near populated areas, the regional authorities introduced a reward of 30,000 rubles for killing dangerous bears, and by the end of October hunters had filed about a hundred applications for the payments. At the same time, the investigators' conclusion regarding the woman near Lyazgino shows that not every body found with injuries is connected to an animal attack.