A dream camping trip turned into a horrifying tragedy after a 29-year-old bride-to-be was dragged from her tent by a brown bear and mauled to death in Russia’s Altai Mountains.
Snezhana Korolyova was camping with her fiancé when the massive animal reportedly tore into their tent at around 1am, leaving the couple with little chance to escape.
According to local reports, the bear seized the screaming woman and dragged her away from the campsite before mauling her to death. The animal then reportedly carried her body across the Biya River and began attempting to bury her in the surrounding woodland.
Terrified campers reportedly tried desperately to distract the animal and save the woman, but their efforts failed.
Gamekeepers and police arrived and fired shots into the air in an attempt to scare the bear away. However, witnesses said the animal appeared unfazed and refused to abandon its victim.
One witness, Alina, described the horrifying scene.
“They were shooting [in the air], but it wasn’t frightened. It wouldn’t give her up and dragged her across the river,” she said.
The witness said the bear later began burying the woman.
“The bear brazenly started burying her,” Alina added.
The tragedy was made even more heartbreaking by reports that Snezhana’s fiancé had only recently proposed to her.
“Her boyfriend is in shock—he had only just proposed to her. It’s horrific,” the witness said.
Snezhana was reportedly a court secretary and a keen powerlifter. Her fiancé has not been publicly identified.
Locals have warned that encounters with bears are not unusual in the region, with around 20 bears reportedly roaming the surrounding area.
Following the fatal attack, authorities declared a 10-day state of high alert in the affected village. During the period, tourists were prohibited from pitching tents in forests and along the riverbank.
A local order stated that the restrictions were introduced following the dangerous encounter and were intended to protect residents and visitors.
The bear remains at large, according to local reports.
A representative of the Mayminsky District Society of Hunters and Fishermen blamed a decline in hunting activity for the growing bear population and increasing risk of human encounters.
“The hunting season was shortened to 30 days. Because of this, the bear population has begun to increase,” the representative reportedly said.
They claimed that hunters were struggling to control the population while food shortages were pushing bears closer to areas occupied by humans.
“There’s little hunting, the bears are reproducing, and the food supply is scarce—nuts are scarce—so they simply come out to hunt people when they’re hungry,” the representative said.
Authorities are now investigating the circumstances surrounding Snezhana’s death as fears grow over further bear encounters in the region.
For her family and fiancé, what began as a romantic getaway in the mountains ended in an unimaginable tragedy—just moments after the couple had been planning their future together.
