Germany welcomes wild bear return

[Ferran]

Germany welcomes wild bear return

Wild bears once roamed widely across much of Europe

A wild bear is roaming the German countryside for the first time since 1835, police in the Bavarian Alps say.

Seven sheep carcasses were found in Garmisch-Partenkirchen on Sunday, confirming the bear had entered Germany across the nearby Austrian border.

The bear was last spotted on Thursday in a border area in Austria after destroying a beehive.

The region's environment minister said the bear was "welcome in Bavaria" and told people they had nothing to fear.

Austrian wildlife experts who have been following the bear's movements said it was unlikely to approach humans.

Hunters' associations welcomed the bear's arrival as "positive" but said they were concerned it might damage farm property.

Regional officials in Bavaria say they plan to briefly anaesthetise the bear and identify it before releasing it.

World Wildlife Fund officials in Germany said the last reported wild bear in Germany was killed in 1835 in western Bavaria.



Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5003354.stm

[svin]

That's what I don't like about Western Europe. Almost no wildlife... Even in Finland(!) there are almost no wolves, for example. Most of them are situated on Russian-Finnish border. The situation in Russia is very different. Is it even possible to repopulate European forests with wild animals? Only one bear can't change the situation, I guess Europeans need special programs for this matter.

[Truth-Finder]

Very recently-no more than 2 weeks ago, maybe 3- there has been an atemp to reintroduce wild bear in the french pyrennees.

The program was not wellcome by local peansantry who has been demostrating and calling for boicot

http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/re...-764060,0.html

[Llywarch Hen]

Originally Posted by svin

That's what I don't like about Western Europe. Almost no wildlife... Even in Finland(!) there are almost no wolves, for example. Most of them are situated on Russian-Finnish border. The situation in Russia is very different.

Hehe, I recently took a Russian friend up into the hills overlooking Manchester, and he was amazed in one day to see Kuropatki, Zaichiki, A Yastreb and several Sokols. [THat's grouse, hares and some hawks for the uninitiated!] I think he was even more amazed at how tame the ducks were. Maybe he's a bad example, living in Podmoskovye, but even so... He says he's only seen a fox once in his life. I see them almost once a week. We just kill things less!

By the way, the Drofa [Great Bustard] has recently been reintroduced into England from Russland, cheers! Slowly but surely, things will get back to how they should be.

[svin]

Podmoskovje is not the best place to find animals, for sure.
I'm speaking about areas close to cities like Kostroma, for example. You can easily meet bears there. Also wolves are common in all European Russia...
These predators (wolves, bears) are almost nonexistent in Europe.

By the way, the Drofa [Great Bustard] has recently been reintroduced into England from Russland, cheers! Slowly but surely, things will get back to how they should be.

Glad to hear this... I love nature.

[Gil]

Wild boars, deers, hawks, eagles, some wolves, foxes, otters, and a multitude of wild birds are found in Portugal so I wouldn't say Western Europe has almost no wildlife....
Sure, there isn't much large wildlife near large cities but the countryside still has alot of species running around.
For example, where I live it's not uncommon to see some foxes roaming near the streets, white and giant owls make their nests on everyone's roofs (mine included) and i've seen small hawks in the nearby woods.

[Llywarch Hen]

Originally Posted by svin

Podmoskovje is not the best place to find animals, for sure.

Well, yes and no. Losinyy Ostrov is partially contained within Moskva's ring road, and deserves its name, for there are indeed Los [elk] still there. I used to live nearby, and now and then on a walk saw a Detel' [Greater Spotted Woodpecker], and once an Ondatr [big rat like thing that swims in the river. We don't have em in Anglii, much less a Name for them]. A friend of mine once saw a Kunitsa in the town, too [Pine Marten].

I love nature.

Being one of its porky manifestations, so you should.

[Zrinski]

In the region where I live wildlife is flourishing. Close to my town is a park of nature 'Kopacki Rit' with many deers, wild boars, many different wild birds, etc. There was a movement and still is to prohibit hunting and proclaim it national park but the hunting lobby is too strong.

Croatia is also one of those rare countries in Europe that has Wolves and Bears still living freely in their indigenous areas.

I had a small "incident" few months ago....I went for a run around 9 PM and as I was runnng I stopped to fix my sneakers and as I stood up I noticed something with the glimpse of my eye as I looked up there was an huge Owl coming down at me, completly silent as it moved its wings. I almost shit my pants the first second or two, but I managed to scare it away.

And I live in a city of more than 100 000 people....imagine that. It is also quite normal to see an Owl, or a Hawk striding between the trees at night as my town is filled with parks and forrested regions in proximity.

[Llywarch Hen]

I've seen some pretty big owls in my time, and seen the talons close up on stuffed specimens, so I don't doubt that they could seriously maim a man if they wanted to, but was this one really coming down for you?!

[Zrinski]

I am very sure it did. It was hovering exactly above me and coming down. I don't what else could it have been doing since it came about aproximately meter and half above me. I wore dark clothes and was crouching as I was fixing my sneakers so it could mistake me for something else and I must have surprised it when I rose up and started waving and making noise.

[Menydh]

Originally Posted by svin

That's what I don't like about Western Europe. Almost no wildlife...

Not sure.. do immigrants count as wildlife?

Is it even possible to repopulate European forests with wild animals?

Pro-immigration propaganda! You are banned!

[Zrinski]

I think this qualifies as intra-europan immigration so it's allowed.

[Truth-Finder]

Originally Posted by Zrinski

I think this qualifies as intra-europan immigration so it's allowed.

Moreover, you'll never see a wild boar selling drugs or a wild bear prostituting your women or a Lynx trying to enter your country illegally on a patera

[Ferran]

Donde dije digo, digo Diego...


Bavaria rethinks its bear welcome

Wild bears once roamed widely across much of Europe

A wild bear roaming the German countryside is "out of control" and should be captured or killed, Bavaria's environment minister has said.

The decision to allow hunters to track the bear was a sudden change of heart by the minister, who said on Sunday that the bear was "welcome in Bavaria".

It is thought to be the first bear to roam wild in Germany since 1835.

Seven sheep carcasses have been found, suggesting the animal had learned to hunt for food near farms and homes.

Now Germans, who were previously advised that they had nothing to fear from the bear, are being warned to stay well clear of the beast.

Bavaria's state Environment Minister, Werner Schnappauf, explained the reason for his swift volte-face.

"This bear has become a problem. He seems to be out of control and we cannot take the risk of people being hurt," Mr Schnappauf said.

'Danger'

Mr Schnappauf said the decision to allow hunting of the bear was taken in conjunction with the environmental campaign group the WWF.

Experts said the bear, thought to have been introduced into the wild in Italy, had entered Germany across the nearby Austrian border, probably in search of a mate.

The bear was first spotted last Thursday in a border area in Austria after destroying a beehive.

Austrian wildlife experts who have been following the bear's movements initially said it was unlikely to approach humans.

But an animal expert at the University of Freiburg, Felix Knauer, told the AFP news agency the discovery of the slaughtered sheep was significant.

"We have underestimated the danger posed by this bear," he said.



Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5003354.stm

[Gil]

Ehehe, seems people are quick to change their mind....

[wilpuri]

Bah, afraid of bears?

Last sunday, a 21 year-old woman woman in Hankasalmi, Finland, was attacked by a bear. The bear bit the woman in her thigh and calf after it had knocked her over. The woman promptly kicked the bear twice in the face with her free foot, after which the bear left with her cub.

[UsernameAlreadyInUse]

As to the german bear:

Recently that bear killed a few sheep. So now huntsman have the authorisation to shoot the bear. But since the day the authorisation was given no one has seen the bear anymore. It is speculated that he left Germany up the border to Austria. Media just call him Mr. X now. I hope he manages to escape