A bear cub was shot, most likely by a poacher, in the Florina region of northern Greece. Wildlife organizations are calling on authorities to investigate the killing of the animal.
The cub was born last year and was still at an age when it was not separated from its mother, the public organization for the protection of bears ARKTUROS said in a statement. Next to the dead bear cub, fresh tracks of an adult animal were found, probably the mother bear that was with it.
A local farmer noticed the body of a young animal near Sino Nero and reported it to ARKTUROS and the forestry department. Representatives of ARKTUROS rushed to the point indicated by the farmer, and representatives of the Florina Forest Service also went to the area.
When examining the cub, two bullet wounds were found – one in the stomach, the other in the chest. Environmental groups Arkturos and Kallisto called the killing another serious crime against biodiversity, noting that three more bears were killed in the same area a year ago by unknown assailants.
Both organizations are participants in the funded EU project “LIFE Bear-Smart Corridors” – an international collaboration between the Netherlands, Italy and Greece aimed at preserving brown bear populations in Central Italy and Greece by maintaining and providing important corridors of movement and connections between bear populations, as well as creating “smart communities of coexistence” of people and bears.
The bear is strictly protected in accordance with Greek and EU legislation. It is a valuable species of Greek fauna, representing our natural wealth and cultural heritage, playing an important role in the functioning of the forest ecosystem.
Both organizations call on the competent authorities not to underestimate the importance of this event and to immediately begin a large-scale investigation in order to establish the identity of the perpetrator.
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