Police Seek Bear on the Loose in Streets of Russia's Khabarovsk

Police in Russia's Khabarovsk are seeking a Himalayan bear after multiple reports of sightings in the city of 600,000, RIA Novosti reported on Friday.

A harsh winter in the region and floods following August's typhoon reduced food supplies for bears in the region, causing them to go toward human-inhabited areas in search of food. Friday's sighting appears to be the first bear sighting in a large city so far in 2015.

"At this time the animal has not been found. Specialized hunters are looking for it," the local police department said.

According to local press reports, the bear, spotted near an oil storage facility, later left the city limits, moving in the direction of a nearby village.

Himalayan brown bears are an endangered species which are found across Asia, including Russia's Primorsky and Khabarovsk territories. Some bears have reportedly migrated toward Russia in search of food and because Russia has stricter enforcement of hunting regulations than its neighbor China.

In mid-August, local media in Komsomolsk-on-Amur reported that a bear was seen occupying a cemetery near the city. The bear was said to likely be feasting on wild raspberries in the area as well as snacks that Russians leave near the graves of their relatives after visiting them.