Florina: what did they do with the bear, "smashing" chicken coops

Scientists caught a bear that was “thrashing” chicken coops in the Varico area in Florina and transported it to the mountains … away from people. “Bombilla” was a female brown bear, about 8 years old and weighing 130 kg.

The she-bear methodically destroyed chicken coops and pigeon houses, eating a bird in Variko, in Florina. To stop her activity, scientists first immobilized the bear, trapping it, and then took it to a forest area away from populated areas.

In order to be able to track the bear’s activity in case it approaches the livestock farms again, the animal has been radio-tagged and its movements will be monitored daily by the Florina Forestry Authority and the environmental organization KALLISTO. If the animal approaches a settlement in the future, the data from the radio collar will determine its location, which will make it easier to scare it away.

The female bear was a regular visitor to chicken coops and dovecotes in Variko. After weeks of trying, scientists managed to trap her and immobilize her.

According to the statement, the procedure for trapping, euthanizing, transporting and resuscitating an animal in a new territory is a practice that is applied internationally and in most cases is effective, as it gives the animal the necessary shock so that it does not approach human settlements.

For trapping, a portable special cage-trap for bears was initially installed, which could be easily moved in case of damage to a bear near another settlement.

The first phase of the operation was attended by members of the Florina Forestry Department, Komata, the Amyndeon Police Department and the environmental organizations ARCTUROS and KALLISTO. After several days of unsuccessful fishing, when the bear did not seem to move away from Variko, several traps were set with a special cable. The animal was finally captured at dawn on June 27 by employees of the environmental organization KALLISTO and the Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Thessaly. In the presence of officials from the Florina Forestry Department, the bear wears a radio beacon built into the collar.

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