Animals
Brown bear spotted in Upper Bavaria
On April 30, a brown bear fell into a photo trap in the southern district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Photo: -/Bavarian State Office for the Environment/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
It’s rare for a brown bear to grope through Bavaria. The next population doesn’t live that far away. Now one is on the road again at the border to Austria.
Rare visit to Upper Bavaria: A brown bear fell into a photo trap in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
The recording of the wildlife camera comes from Saturday, as a spokesman for the Bavarian State Office for the Environment in Augsburg said on Tuesday. Other current sightings are not yet known. Otherwise, very little is known about the animal. In contrast to his fellow Bruno, who became known throughout Germany as a “problem bear” and was shot down in the summer of 2006, the current brown bear has so far behaved completely inconspicuously.
Nearest bear population is 120 kilometers away
“It’s not like there was any difficult situation, it’s just been photographed by the camera now. Therefore, there is no reason to become active in any way, »said the spokesman for the state office.
The last time a brown bear was out and about in Bavaria was in spring 2020. In the winter half-year in the area between Reutte in the Austrian Tyrol and the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, corresponding indications were confirmed several times. It is unclear whether it was the same animal at the weekend.
“It’s a very blurred picture, a night shot, so you can’t give any information about age, individual or gender,” the spokesman described the photo. However, according to the state office, only young males usually roam around very far in search of a female – the nearest brown bear population is around 120 kilometers from Bavaria in Trentino, Italy. However, if they do not find a partner far away, they usually return to their homeland.
Do not leave food leftovers in nature
It is also still unclear whether the current bear actually comes from Italy. “One could only find out who the population belonged to by means of a DNA analysis,” explained the spokesman. For this, the experts would need feces of the animal.
The authorities do not want to name the exact location in the southern district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen where the bear triggered the wildlife camera of a hunter from the state forests. On the one hand, he should not be startled by curious people, on the other hand, he should not be used to people. “We have to show bears that our livestock herds are taboo and that there is nothing to be gained from humans. This is crucial for conflict-free coexistence,” emphasized the wildlife expert from the WWF Nature Conservation Union, Moritz Klose.
Klose therefore called on hikers and day-trippers, as well as the state office, not to leave any leftovers in nature and to retreat slowly and calmly in the event of an encounter. Then there would be a good chance that the current visitor would not end up in the museum stuffed like his fellow Bruno.
Bruno had caused a stir with forays into towns and numerous sheep killings. He was therefore released for shooting despite strict protection. After this disaster, a management plan was drawn up in Bavaria for the case of a new bear arrival, which regulates how to deal with the wild animal and the steps to be taken in the event of any problems.