The brown bear in the Upper Bavarian district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen has been sighted again. It was recorded by a wildlife camera early Monday morning near Ohlstadt, further north than before. It is assumed that it is the same animal that triggered the wildlife camera of a hunter from the state forests in the southern district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen on Saturday. A spokesman for the Bavarian State Office for the Environment (LfU) in Augsburg confirmed the new sighting on Thursday, but not the location. “We would like to avoid ‘bear tourism’.”
Unlike its fellow Bruno, who became known throughout Germany as a “problem bear” and was shot down in the summer of 2006, the animal has so far been inconspicuous. “The bear is inconspicuous and has so far only appeared through recordings from wildlife cameras,” said the LfU spokesman. The bear was photographed at a distance of 500 meters from the outskirts, said the mayor of Ohlstadt, Christian Scheuerer. Nevertheless, this is not worrying, it is an impassable forest area. “Even a bear can feel comfortable there.”
Scheuerer also warned not to go looking for the bear. He’s probably already somewhere else anyway. The representatives of the grazing livestock farmers have been informed. So far there has been no unrest with these. “A bear is seen differently than a wolf. You deal with it very soberly and objectively. There is no panic or great concern,” said Scheuerer. “In the end, the bear behaves exactly as you would like it to: It avoids everything that has to do with civilization.”