Estonia relocates two repeat intruder bears after tranquilising them

Two young bears that had repeatedly entered people’s yards in Ida-Viru County have been tranquilised and returned to the forest, ERR reports. The bears had previously been moved from Tartu County to Ida-Viru County in the hope that they would find suitable habitat and food there and stop disturbing people.

The bears were captured with a tranquilliser rifle on Tuesday evening in Kuningaküla village. They had already been driven away from people’s yards and taken into the forest several times.

The Environmental Board said the bears, born at the beginning of this year, had returned to settlements despite repeated relocations. The behaviour suggests they have developed an unnatural pattern, likely because people had fed them and they had lost their fear of humans.

According to Tanel Türna, head of the Environmental Board’s hunting and aquatic life department, the cubs were first known to have entered a settlement in Tartu County at the end of July. In cooperation with the Rescue Board, the cubs had been taken into the forest four times by Tuesday.

The bears ran into a sawmill warehouse in Kuningaküla, where local people closed the door. With the help of a veterinarian, officials tranquilised the approximately 25-kilogramme animals inside the enclosed area and took them back to the forest.

The two bears were part of a litter of four. All four received ear tags during the first captures, allowing officials to confirm that the same young animals were involved. The other two bears are no longer seeking food near people.

On August 7, the Environmental Board issued special permits to hunt the two bears because they continued returning to people’s yards despite repeated efforts to drive them into the forest. The Estonian Hunters’ Society later told Maaleht that it would not use the permits, saying its ethical views did not align with the order and that this was the general decision of Estonia’s hunting community.

Environmental Board warns bears may become dangerous

The Environmental Board said the bears’ behaviour indicated that people had fed them, causing them to lose their natural fear of humans. Bears of this age should avoid people and find food independently in the wild rather than repeatedly returning to settlements, Türna said.

The board urged people not to feed wild animals, warning that the bears, which are still small, will be much larger next year and could pose a serious danger if they continue seeking contact with people.

People who see a bear or another large predator in a settlement should report it to the state information line 1247, which provides initial advice and forwards reports to the Environmental Board when necessary. If an animal poses an immediate threat to people or traffic, callers should dial 112.

In April, the Ministry of Climate changed the hunting rules, making it possible to hunt bears only with a special permit from the Environmental Board. By August 19, the board had issued 13 such permits nationwide, and two bears had been hunted under them, one in Harju County and one in Põlva County.