Wildlife officials in Russia’s Far East euthanized 11 brown bears in one night after the animals were drawn to an improvised dump by the scent of leftover fish, as reported by state media on Monday.

“This is the first occurrence in 18 years where we have [taken down] this many bears in a single night. Previously, we’ve only managed three to four at most,” stated Alexander Matern, the chief wildlife hunting inspector for the Magadan area.

Matern noted that the bears had been consistently scavenging at the landfill near the village of Tauisk, situated 85 kilometers (53 miles) from the regional center, since springtime.

According to state broadcaster Rossiya, locals in the neighboring village of Yanskii also noticed new bear tracks around their summer houses and at the local dump, prompting frequent interventions from wildlife authorities.

Residents indicated that the location is part of what they call a “bear trail,” used by the animals during their nightly foraging trips, leading them to secure themselves and their pets indoors each evening to prevent encounters.

Bear sightings are prevalent along a 120-kilometer (75-mile) stretch of highway next to the Sea of Okhotsk, including at sanctioned salmon fishing areas. An employee at one of the fishing sites attributed the issue to visitors discarding food waste at an unsanctioned landfill, which in turn lures the bears.

As of early 2024, Magadan was home to an estimated 17,500 brown bears, an increase from 16,000 the previous year. In the summer of 2023, at least three individuals were killed by bears in the city of Magadan, which is located 6,000 kilometers (3,700 miles) east of Moscow.