On Thursday, the Environmental Board issued a permit to hunt two bears. These bears visit people's gardens and are not afraid of humans. They are approximately one and a half years old.
Tanel Türna, an employee of the Environmental Board, said the bears' behavior is very unusual. For example, yesterday the bears were in Võõbu village and were not even afraid of a rescue vehicle. Türna believes that people may have fed the bears. This has caused the bears to lose their fear of humans.
Various methods have been tried to scare the bears away, but none have worked. The bears keep coming back. Three bears have been spotted in the area, but one of them does not come near humans.
Türna stated that the hunting permit is issued only as a last resort. The Environmental Board has consulted with zoos, but the bears cannot be placed there. People should avoid contact with bears and definitely not feed them.
In April, hunting regulations were changed. Now, bears can only be hunted with a special permit from the Environmental Board. This permit allows hunting only in areas with dangerous bears.
This year, the Environmental Board has issued six bear hunting permits. There are currently about 1100 bears in Estonia. The bear population has been growing since 2013.
The Environmental Board urges people to be cautious. Do not feed bears and keep waste in closed containers. This will help prevent bears from coming near human settlements.