News that four bears were found dead as a result of gunshots – all within one month and in the same area of ​​Sklitro Florina.

The authorities are investigating the case, and those involved in the protection of endangered mammals and the conservation of ecosystems in general are expressing their concern.

Single case or not?

Representatives of two environmental organizations, Arcturos and Callisto, who are active in saving bears and other endangered wild animals, as well as livestock breeders whose property is often attacked and damaged, turned to Athens. Information agency about the problem.

Alexandros Karamanlidis, who is in charge of Arcturs, said that their organization, with the participation of their veterinarian and an expert, created a dossier on the case of the shooting of four animals, “which was notified to the Ministry of the Environment and is ready to transfer the data to any state authority, police or prosecutor’s office, showing interest in search of the culprits. An investigation was also carried out by order of the Deputy Minister of the Environment, Mr. Giorgos Amiras.

Although the two environmental organizations refrain from giving an exact population, as it is not so easy to register, they estimate it at about 500 people in the mountainous arc from the Rhodopes of Thrace, Pindos, Central and Western Macedonia, from Grammos to the Agrafi region.

An increase in population also meant an increase in mortality.

According to the Arcturus database, there have been over 85 fatal road accidents involving bears since 1998, and since 2000, 130 bears have died from man-made and natural causes.

Of these, 40% of cases are from poaching (use of firearms) or from poisoned baits.

This particularly large number worries experts, given that other countries are faring much better in their coexistence with wildlife. It is characteristic to note that Slovenia has achieved high rates of harmonious coexistence with wildlife and especially with the bear. Slovenia is followed by Croatia, while Bulgaria, on the other hand, has similar problems to ours in the Rhodope Mountains.

An Arcturus spokesman reported on a bear that received a gunshot wound and was treated by Arcturus specialists until he recovered and returned to his Bulgarian counterparts, where they released him into the wild.

Six months later, the animal was again wounded in the head, again treated by Arcturos and could no longer live alone in the wild, it is housed in the organization’s shelter in the Nymphaeum.

Breeders Party

Mr. Kyriakos Kotanidis, from Kastoria Mesopotamia, is a livestock farmer – he owns sheep – and at the same time a bean and corn farmer. He claims to have suffered a bear attack on his herd when 24 of his animals were seriously injured or killed a few years ago.

He describes the compensation he received from the ELGA as meager and adds that the damage caused by the bears today is mostly in crops.

“Bears damage the fields, but wild boars do the most damage, whole herds go to corn and destroy the entire crop.”

Mr. Kotanidis points out that in addition to the plant, “irrigation equipment and tires scattered across the field are also destroyed.”

A pastoralist and maize grower from the wider Amintayo area, where incidents of dead bears have also occurred, and who wished to remain anonymous, pointed out to us the presence of bears even in villages as an important problem for the region. after sunset, the frequent destruction of agricultural capital (especially corn) by wild boar raids and the use of poisoned baits, which they irresponsibly use either on bears or stray dogs.

Greek Shepherd vs Bear

Spyros Psaroudas, general director of the conservation organization Callisto, confirmed this fact, saying that some breeders in the area are in despair because “poisoned baits were eaten by dogs from their herds.”

He explained that as part of programs to deal with incidents of bear attacks on herds, both Arctouros and Callisto have given to breeders who asked for them, puppies belonging to the Greek Shepherd breed, which are said to be able to cope with bear attacks. .

These animals are tools in the hands of breeders, and their loss cannot be replaced immediately.

Mr. Psaroudas stressed that “the task of the police is to identify the criminals with poisoned baits, as well as those who easily shot the bears.”

Return of the big predators

In recent years, Kallisto has dedicated its activities to protecting the wildlife and unique ecosystems of Greece. Prepares and implements EU programs. which relate to the protection of wildlife and peaceful coexistence with people and track all the changes that have occurred in the mountainous area over the past 30 years.

He also closely monitors incidents of bears visiting the urban area of ​​Kastoria, where in one case, for safety reasons, the animal had to be captured under anesthesia and then released to Grammos. We asked if the return of this particular male, which the organization has given the name “Platonis”, a few kilometers from Kastoria, is associated with an increase in the population and the search for living space for the animal to live.

Mr. Psaroudas explained that the increase in the population of bears, wolves and jackals is a reality and “is due to the great changes taking place in the mountainous countryside.” The abandonment of mountainous Greece, the desolation of the villages, the gradual reduction of the enthusiastic free pastoralism and its replacement with a sustainable one created a new situation in the mountains.

The pastures were abandoned, the extensive cultivation of livestock by shepherds in the mountains was also abandoned, while the presence of herders and farmers in the villages, who maintained a balance between wildlife and human presence, was disrupted. Mr. Psaroudas notes that “all of these abandoned lands were then reforested, resulting in the shelter of such large predators as the bear, the wolf and the jackal.”

“The return of large carnivores is a phenomenon that is being recorded across Europe and is also happening in our country,” notes Mr. Psaroudas and points out that “the solution is not to kill them, because we are concerned about the new situation that is the form”.

For example, he said that by killing bears in an area, one can be sure that less desirable animals, such as a pack of eight or ten wolves, will appear in their place. He added that this is “a natural phenomenon that we have experienced in various regions of mountainous Greece.”

He recommended “calmness”, as this phenomenon is pan-European and shows, first of all, that “we have a healthy ecosystem”. He cited the example of a wolf that lived only in the forests of Poland, and today members of these packs have reached Hamburg, Germany, while within a few years the wolf has reappeared even in the French Alps.

Mr. Psaroudas said that over time “we will face big problems not because of the presence of the bear, but because of the increase in the wild boar population, which causes many times more damage to agriculture.”

Finally, Arktouros, together with Callisto, the municipality of Amintaio, KENAKAP, the University of Thessaly and other foreign organizations, under the coordination of Rewilding Europe, is implementing the LIFE Bear-Smart Corridors project in Amintaio and in the area of ​​Trikala, Pyli and Meteora (LIFE20 NAT/NL/1107) aims to to strengthen the populations of the legendary European brown bear in Central Italy and Greece through the development of “corridors of coexistence”.

Bear in the cities

But what happens when bears are seen ‘lounging’ even in towns, as recently in Kastoria, where she was spotted with her two cubs taking a walk by the lakeside in the town centre?

Mr. Karamanlidis notes that for these cases, which are expected to a certain extent, after their own intervention by KYA, it was envisaged what needs to be done to resolve these incidents. “An Immediate Intervention Team has been activated, which includes expert scientists from two organizations, the forestry department, the relevant municipality, the police, etc., who undertake to remove the animal.”

However, Mr. Karamanlidis points out shortcomings in the group’s activities that make it ineffective, causing a negative public reaction with consequences for wildlife.

Source: APE-MPE / Photo: Nikos Panagiotopoulos