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Sat, May 26 2012
Brown bear kills a man near Smolyan village
Bulgarian brown bear going for a stroll in Sofia
Photo: Ivan Grigorov
A Bulgarian brown bear attacked and clawed a man to death near the Smolyan village of Koutela, Bulgarian media reported on May 18.
As a consequence, the authorities have ordered the bear killed, according to Environmental Minister Nona Karadjova. The minister said that such events are rare and that this was an "exceptional case".
Reasons for the incident were cited as the "extreme proximity between the man and the bear". It is speculated that in bad weather and obscured visibility, the man ventured too close to the animal. Last year, there were three incidents between brown bears and humans, but none of them were fatal.
According to Karadzhova, if the bear has a cub, the latter will be taken to a zoo.
The Bulgarian brown bear is, in effect, the (Ursus arctos arctos) a subspecies of the brown bear (Ursus arctos), and found across northern Eurasia. The brown bear is also known as the "common brown bear", and colloquially by many other names.
The animal is widespread in Bulgaria. Bears are found on Vitosha Mountain, close to Sofia as well as Rila, Pirin, the Rhodopes mountains, the Lozenska Mountain and Bulgaria's spine, the massive Stara Planina range.
The Bulgarian brown bear is a protected species, and their killing is authorised only if they have been proven to attack humans.
As a consequence, the authorities have ordered the bear killed, according to Environmental Minister Nona Karadjova. The minister said that such events are rare and that this was an "exceptional case".
Reasons for the incident were cited as the "extreme proximity between the man and the bear". It is speculated that in bad weather and obscured visibility, the man ventured too close to the animal. Last year, there were three incidents between brown bears and humans, but none of them were fatal.
According to Karadzhova, if the bear has a cub, the latter will be taken to a zoo.
The Bulgarian brown bear is, in effect, the (Ursus arctos arctos) a subspecies of the brown bear (Ursus arctos), and found across northern Eurasia. The brown bear is also known as the "common brown bear", and colloquially by many other names.
The animal is widespread in Bulgaria. Bears are found on Vitosha Mountain, close to Sofia as well as Rila, Pirin, the Rhodopes mountains, the Lozenska Mountain and Bulgaria's spine, the massive Stara Planina range.
The Bulgarian brown bear is a protected species, and their killing is authorised only if they have been proven to attack humans.
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Ministry: One brown bear to be shot and eight to be relocated following attack
The Bulgarian Environment Ministry has authorised police and park rangers to hunt down and kill the bear which attacked a woman and left her critically wounded.
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WITH PICTURES LIKE THIS OF A BEAR BEING LED AROUND BY CHAINS ATTACHED TO ITS FACE YOU PEOPLE SEEM SURPRISED A BEAR WOULD ATTACK, IF I WAS A BEAR I'D WANT TO RIP THE FACE OFF ANY PEOPLE WHO CAME NEAR ME...IF YOU BELIEVE IN GOD WHY DO YOU TREAT HIS CREATURES LIKE THIS? I HAVE HOPE THAT THE YOUNGER GENERATION IN BG WILL FIT INTO A CIVILISED SOCIETY BECAUSE YOUR OLDER GENERATION THEIR CRUELY, GREED AND CALOUSE IGNORANCE DO NOT. SEE THE ERROR OF YOUR WAY AND AMEND THEM, YOUR ACTIONS TURN PEOPLE AGAINST YOU FROM AROUND THE GLOBE, [...]
Read the full comment FOR THE YOUNG GROWING UP IN THIS COUNTRY...DO NOT TAKE AFTER YOUR ELDERS IN ALL THEIR WAYS, SOME THINGS ARE GOOD CRUELTY, GREED AND IGNORANCE ARE NOT.
This is a tragedy for both the family of this poor man and also for the wild life in this idylic haven. Fear and ignorance destroys communities and erradicates protected and endagered specices.
I'm from Finland and if you check our map there should be far enough space for beasts. But that is anyway too few. We have all the time problems with wolves and sometimes with bears.
Areas where these animals wander are huge. They are not happy enough in some small forest or area where you or me would be. They are their ancient territories and the fact is that people are those who enter there to disturb.
Is there any chance of transferring these bears to an enclosed area such as the one at Belitza. We have to consider the Bulgarian people and respect their right to live and work in their own village. As as a regular traveller in Bulgaria apprecialting the beautiful environment and exceptional people of the Rhodopi's I worry that if something isn't donethis will affect the tourist trade at this current time of economic stress.
The closest i've been is "bear poo" in my garden in the village of Momchilovtsi [7km Kutela] .
A sad story. I think the picture caption here is completely inappropriate though as it mocks both the story content and the fact that the bear in question is being dragged around on a chain, not going for stroll. Bad form.
Dear 123, surely in Bulgaria these things happen *because* there is still quite a bit of space left for beasts? Imagine the news: a Brown bear kills a man near the city of Köln? Sympathy for beasts seems a modern phenomenon, though - the more detached we are from them, the more deeply we are touched by any harm we do them.
Bears, just like dogs, have characters. And sometimes they are mean. This is why relocation is not appropriate (it true).
Why couldnt they traquilise the bear and take it somewhere and release it rather than kill it?
Guess they dont care?
This is so true, and then we kill them because we are surprised they should have the nerve to act like a wild animal. Humans are disgusting.
These things happen when humans make the living environment of beasts too small.