A bear has killed a man and seriously injured a woman after it attacked them in their home near the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar.
Police say the incident happened in the Bayanzurkh district overnight on Wednesday in their traditional Mongolian nomadic tent-like structure known as a ger.
The man, who was in his 40s, died, but the woman, in her 50s, managed to flee and raise the alarm with neighbours. She is in a serious condition in hospital, city official Munkhbayar M told reporters.
Sightings of bears around humans are becoming more common in Mongolia, for reasons that include climate change and food scarcity.
A team of rangers is searching for the bear while officials have warned locals to be vigilant and report any sightings.
There had been 24 bear sightings near the capital this year alone, compared to just two in 2018, Munkhbayar said, in comments reported by the AFP news agency.
Videos showing bears entering or damaging gers, and attacking livestock have reportedly gone viral on Mongolian social media in recent weeks, highlighting the increase in bear and human interaction across the country.
Bear-hunting permits across eight provinces have been issued and officials are seeking to obtain tranquiliser dart guns to support rangers in rural areas, AFP reports.
A significant amount of Mongolians are nomadic, but settled agricultural communities are becoming more common. An increasing number of the population lives in the capital or other major urban areas.
