TWO GRANDMOTHERS ENTERED THE FOREST TO PICK MUSHROOMS — HOURS LATER, TWO SAVAGE BEAR ATTACKS PLUNGED A RUSSIAN CITY INTO HIGH ALERT

Two elderly women went into a Siberian forest to pick mushrooms.

Neither came home.

Within hours, emergency crews were dealing with two horrifying bear attacks involving women who were reportedly in the same area — and authorities were forced to raise the alarm across the nearby city.

The victims were identified as Galina Teterina, 73, and Zoya G., 67, both pensioners from the Krasnoyarsk region of Russia.

According to local reports, the women were attacked separately while out in the forest.

And investigators believe the same brown bear may have been responsible for both incidents.

THE FIRST WOMAN VANISHED INTO THE FOREST

Zoya, 67, had reportedly gone into the forest near the village of Podtyosovo to gather mushrooms.

At some point, she encountered a bear.

The animal attacked her, and authorities later discovered her remains in the forest.

But the horror may not have ended there.

Local reports suggest the bear may have dragged or buried Zoya before remaining nearby.

Then, only hours later, another grandmother entered the same area.

That woman was Galina Teterina.

She was 73.

And according to a local account cited by The Sun, Galina may have unknowingly walked toward the same location where Zoya had been attacked.

THEN ANOTHER WOMAN WAS ATTACKED

The theory is that the bear was still close to the area.

Galina may have encountered the animal while searching for mushrooms or may have come across evidence of the earlier incident.

Whatever happened next, she too was attacked.

Emergency workers later discovered the remains of both women in separate shallow “graves” approximately 16 feet apart.

The extraordinary proximity of the two sites has fueled the belief that the same predator was involved.

Authorities have not publicly established every detail of the sequence, however, and the investigation remains ongoing.

A CITY WAS PUT ON HIGH ALERT

The double tragedy came as Krasnoyarsk was already dealing with an unusual increase in bear encounters.

Officials declared a state of high alert because of growing reports of bears entering areas close to the city.

Residents were warned as authorities increased patrols and monitoring.

The city’s mayor, Sergey Vereshchagin, said the emergency measures were intended to allow city services and law enforcement to respond more quickly when predators were spotted.

The situation became even more alarming on the same day when an aggressive young bear was dealt with near a school in the suburb of Yemelyanovo.

Students at Siberian Federal University were also reportedly instructed to remain inside their dormitories because of the bear threat.

WHY ARE BEARS MOVING CLOSER TO PEOPLE?

Officials and local reports point to a troubling environmental factor.

Bears are struggling to find enough of their normal food supply.

Pine nuts and berries — important parts of the animals’ natural diet — have reportedly been in short supply.

Drought and wildfires have contributed to poor yields.

As natural food becomes harder to find, hungry bears are increasingly moving toward populated areas in search of alternative sources.

That has created a dangerous collision between wildlife and communities.

THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST HORROR THIS SUMMER

The two grandmother attacks come after another disturbing bear incident in Siberia last month.

Snezhana Korolyova, 29, was reportedly attacked during a camping trip in Russia’s Altai Mountains just one day after becoming engaged.

According to reports, she and her fiancé were sleeping in a tent when a bear approached during the night.

The animal reportedly dragged Snezhana away from the campsite.

Her fiancé survived, but Snezhana did not.

The latest incidents involving Galina and Zoya have now intensified fears over the growing number of bear encounters across the region.

A TERRIFYING QUESTION FOR RESIDENTS

For the families of Galina and Zoya, the tragedy began like an ordinary trip into the forest.

Picking mushrooms is a familiar seasonal activity in parts of Russia.

But somewhere among the trees, two elderly women encountered a predator powerful enough to turn a routine outing into a nightmare.

Now residents are being urged to remain alert as authorities increase patrols and monitor bear sightings.

The biggest concern is no longer simply what happened in the forest.

It is whether more hungry bears will continue moving toward human settlements.

For Krasnoyarsk, the answer could determine how dangerous the coming days become.