Männil says no large wild animal in Estonia targets humans

Peep Männil, a wildlife expert at Estonia’s Environment Agency, said no large wild animal in Estonia targets people, ERR reported. Speaking on Vikerraadio’s Ökoskoop programme, he said large predators are monitored using drones, trail cameras, observations, activity tracking and bioacoustics.

Directly counting individual animals is generally not possible, partly because most large wild animals are nocturnal. The grey seal is the only large game animal counted individually, as seals gather during the spring and summer moulting season and can be counted one by one from a drone, Männil said.

Monitoring land mammals is based on counting signs of animal activity or selecting a smaller group from the population, such as females with cubs. That group is much smaller and easier to count, he said.

Counts of wolves, lynx, bears and jackals rely on observations, including chance sightings. Hunters have been required for years to collect certain data, while the Environment Agency compiles and analyses it. Some areas may not be covered by observations; Männil said observations are not conducted at all in protected areas.

The agency also collects its own data, particularly on wolves. It uses numerous trail cameras and lures both wolves and jackals. Bioacoustics is the main monitoring method used across Europe, Männil said. For ungulates, researchers also count droppings, while hunters conduct winter track counts.

“No large wild animal in Estonia targets humans,” Männil said, adding that large animals have a strong fear of people. In his view, the animals most likely to target humans are small insects such as horseflies, ticks and mosquitoes.

A female bear may attack to protect her cubs, in which case people should retreat. Such encounters usually happen when neither the animal nor the person notices the other until the distance has become extremely short. The risk is greatest in early spring, when cubs are small and cannot yet follow their mother. Wild boars may also attack when their young are in a birthing nest, Männil said. In general, animals hear people approaching from a distance and move away early.