World

Russian wild bear shot dead after wandering through shopping mall

A wild bear wandered through a shopping mall in Russia's Far East before being shot and killed by police. No injuries were reported.

Camo-clad police officer followed animal from mall to playground in city of Khabarovsk

In this video frame grab made available by Associated Press Television News on Wednesday, a wild bear leaves a shopping mall after pushing open its doors in the Russian city of Khabarovsk close to the Chinese border. (The Associated Press)

A wild bear wandered through a shopping mall in Russia's Far East before being shot and killed by police, a local TV channel reported Wednesday.  No human injuries were reported.

MestoproTV released a video that showed the bear smashing a window and roaming around the mall. It then ran to a nearby playground in the city of Khabarovsk close to the Chinese border.

On exiting, the bear pushed open the store's doors and barrelled down the street. The video showed a camouflaged law enforcement officer pursuing the animal and shooting it dead in a playground.

The Investigative Committee, Russia's main state investigative agency, has launched a probe into the legitimacy of the police action.

The television report said the bear was between two and three years old, making it a teenager in bear years.