Foresters ask permission to shoot a problem bear in the Rhodope mountain

The Forestry Directorate in the village of Smilyan (Southern Bulgaria) requested a permission from the Ministry of Agriculture to shoot a bear that poses a risk to people and animals. So far, five bear attacks on domestic animals have been recorded.

Angel Hristov keeps 20 cows in the area of the village of Chereshovo. He also has eight calves. This is the third time the bear has visited his farm:

"It attacked two small cubs. There are two or three attacks in a neighbouring farm, I think. In Koshnitsa there is one attack."

BNT: Are people here in the area afraid?

Angel Hristov - breeder: "They are afraid. Nobody goes out, they don't go anywhere, they stay in their houses, just in their yards and so, nobody goes anywhere. The bear, at the end of the village, at the water fountain at two-thirty in the afternoon walks around and nothing bothers her at all."

According to experts, because of the warm winter, the bears have not been able to hibernate at all. They are looking for food and that is why the attacks have started so early.

"They look for food, and the animals herding in the open are the easiest prey. We have had five attacks on domestic livestock since mid-January to date, with the bear killing two young cows and three calves, on three, separate, livestock premises in neighbouring settlements. These are within a range of 3-4 kilometres, the settlements where the attacks took place are Turyan, Koshnitsa and the village of Chereshovo. The most damages were around the village of Cheresovo and Turyan. Last year we also had attacks in this area. We had requested permission from the ministry for shooting the bear, but is was not implemented by the end of the year and now we have aksed again," said Eng. Anatoly Elev - Director of State Forest Service-Smilyan.

BNT: Is it the same bear?

Anatoly Elev: "We assume it is the same."

BNT: Permission has been requested to shoot it - will that calm things down?

Angel Hristov - breeder: "As I said it is not the only bear. They will shoot one, another will come, the film continues."

In recent years, the brown bear population has been increasing. According to the Regional Directorate of Forestry, there are already 309 bears in the Smolyan region.