A young female bear caused quite a commotion after venturing out of the woods and into the residential areas of Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital.
For two days, the brown bear strolled through Vilnius’s neighborhoods, crossed roads, and explored gardens, all while being followed by curious onlookers with smartphones, and eventually, drones.
The Lithuanian government then issued a permit to have the bear shot and killed.
This decision was met with resistance from Lithuanian hunters who, knowing the critically low number of these protected animals in the country, refused to carry out the order.
The Lithuanian Association of Hunters and Fishermen expressed their shock at the government’s directive.
Ramute Juknyte, the association’s administrator, told the Associated Press on Wednesday that the bear was a beautiful, young female, approximately two years old, who didn’t deserve to be killed.
“She was scared but not aggressive. She just didn’t know how to escape the city but she didn’t do anything bad,” he said.
The organization, which monitors bear movements, estimates that there are only about five to ten bears in Lithuania, although they lack an exact count.
The unusual incident began on Saturday when the bear entered Vilnius. It was the first bear sighting in the city in many years, quickly becoming a national topic. The animal approached within roughly two to three miles of the city center.
Following the controversy surrounding the kill permit, Lithuanian authorities have been defending their decision.
Deputy environment minister Ramunas Krugelis stated that the permit was issued solely as a precaution in the event that the bear became a threat, according to a report by the Lithuanian broadcaster LRT.
The hunters suggested a more compassionate alternative: sedation, tracking, and relocation.
As the debate regarding the bear’s future continued, she seemingly took matters into her own paws and left the city on her own accord.
Mr. Juknyte mentioned that on Wednesday, a camera recorded the bear peacefully wandering through a forest around 40 miles from Vilnius, enjoying a meal of corn.
Brown bears are native to the region and were once prevalent. However, they were eliminated from Lithuania in the 19th century due to hunting and habitat destruction.
In recent years, they’ve started to reappear in small numbers, often migrating from neighboring countries like Latvia and Belarus, which still have small bear populations.
Bears in Lithuania are protected under both Lithuanian and EU law, as they’re classified as a rare and vulnerable species in the area.
