| Sumario: | This article explores human–brown bear encounters in the Magadan region (Kolyma), Russia, through the lens of mediatization. While brown bear ceremonialism and hunting are well-established topics in Siberian anthropology, the experiences of urban settlers have received little attention. I examine how the growing presence of cameras in daily life has shaped the eventfulness of bear encounters in the former Soviet industrial frontier. Analyzing media reports, I trace shifts in how these encounters have been framed over time. I argue that historical changes in the media ecology have transformed how brown bears are seen and represented, as well as the broader wildlife expertise and politics in Russia, by introducing a punctuated, presentist, and moment-oriented logic. I conclude by reflecting on the recent prominence of "encounter" in human–animal anthropological research.
|
|---|