Two young bears and one older one were brutally killed by humans within 48 hours in Western Macedonia, northern Greece.
One of them, a 2 year-old named Circe – Kirki-, was rescued and cared for by NGO ARCTUROS after she was found injured in a traffic accident. Kirki was in a coma after a car accident in Kastoria. After about a year in the NGO’s care, Circe was returned to the wild a short time ago only to find death by poison.
According to ARCTUROS, the two bears were shot and killed with firearms, while little Circe died from a poison bait.
The recording of three dead bears in just 24 hours in Western Macedonia is causing intense concern, with initial evidence pointing to human intervention and illegal practices that threaten the protected population of the species. Killing of protected bears in Greece is a felony crime.
The incidents were recorded in areas of Florina and Kozani, mobilizing the competent authorities and environmental organizations, which are investigating the exact circumstances of the animals’ death.
The first incident concerns a male brown bear, approximately eight years old and weighing 170 kilograms, which was found dead near the Egnatia Motorway, in the Florina – Kozani section.
According to the findings, the animal had three gunshot wounds, one in the neck and two in the back. There are indications that the bear had entered a nearby corn field in search of food, when it was shot.
Despite her serious injuries, she managed to move a short distance, reaching the highway, where she left behind visible traces of blood.
When police forces arrived at the scene, the animal was still alive, but it succumbed to its injuries a few minutes later.
The “Arcturos” Emergency Response Team was immediately mobilized, whose members determined that the animal was dead.
The bear was transported to the organization’s facilities, where a autopsy is expected to be performed by a competent public veterinarian.
The second incident concerns a young female bear, that was Circe, approximately two years old, which was found dead in a forest area of Florina.
Initial estimates by experts converge on the possibility that the animal consumed poisoned bait, known as “fola”.
The final answer to the exact cause of death is expected to be given by the toxicological tests that are currently underway.
A third incident was added to the already heavy toll, this time in Pylori, Municipality of Voi, Kozani.
Another male bear, approximately two and a half years old, was found dead there. According to initial information, the animal has three gunshot wounds on the head, which strengthened the scenarios of illegal killing.
The incidents took place in a period where there are several posts and pictures on social media of bears coming to villages seeking for food in times of trees bearing fruits and following several forest fires that have destroyed the bears’ surviving conditions.
ARCTUROS: “These are not unfortunate incidents”
The death of a total of three bears in the last 48 hours in Western Macedonia has caused sadness and anger.
In a statement, non-profit environmental organization Arcturos spoke of the absence, with few exceptions, of organized prevention and direct intervention by the competent mechanisms in its announcement on Monday today on the occasion of the deaths of the bears.
The NGO also pointed out that residents, in most cases, are called upon to deal with situations involving the presence of bears in settlements on their own.
As Arkturos characteristically pointed out, these are not “unfortunate incidents”, while particularly with regard to Kirki’s case, the NGO emphasized that despite the timely notification of the competent authorities, there was no immediate mobilization to manage the incident, until three days later.
“A poisoned animal that remains exposed in the field can be a secondary source of poisoning for other wild or domestic animals,” the environmental organization noted, emphasizing that the timely response of the competent services to such incidents is not a matter of discretion, but “a fundamental obligation of the State and a basic condition for the effective protection of biodiversity and the prevention of further losses.”
Arcturos also stated that “the recovery of the brown bear population is an undeniable success for Greece in nature protection,” noting, however, that the more frequent presence of bears in certain areas “cannot be used as an alibi for the absence of effective management nor as an easy explanation for every incident.”
The tools to address the phenomenon of bears approaching residential areas already exist, but “what is still missing is their consistent implementation and adequate operational support from the competent services”, the relevant announcement stressed.
It is also emphasized that “the coexistence of humans and bears is possible”, as long as preventive measures are systematically implemented, such as the proper management of waste in well-closed bins, not storing or leaving pet food outdoors, collecting the fruits of fruit trees from the yards of houses in mountainous areas and removing fallen fruits immediately from the ground. Also, electric fences should be installed in agricultural facilities and, where necessary, wild animal repellent devices should be used.
Finally, the organization called on citizens “to immediately inform the competent authorities when they perceive the presence of a bear in settlements and to avoid actions that may lead to the animals becoming accustomed to humans.”
The protection of citizens and the protection of bears are not conflicting goals, Arcturos pointed out, and asked the State to proceed with the full staffing and operational operation of the Immediate Intervention Teams and to implement preventive measures in areas where the phenomenon has now become established.
