Bear defense - District administrator wants armed unit against bears in Bavaria
A Bavarian district administrator is calling for armed units against bears - the Environment Ministry in Munich is reacting cautiously to the proposal. "It's important that we can react quickly in case of an emergency according to the existing legal framework," said a ministry spokesperson. "In case of an emergency, all measures come into consideration. That includes shooting." The letter with the demands of the Upper Allgäu district administrator Indra Baier-Müller is still being checked.
The municipal politician of the Free Voters had requested in the letter to her party friend, Bavaria's Environment Minister Thorsten Glauber, the founding of a armed Bavarian Brown Bear Unit. The unit should be responsible for dealing with the defacement and killing of bears and always ready for action, proposed the district administrator. Baier-Müller had founded the Brown Bear initiative about a year ago, in response to a series of bear sightings in Southern Bavaria, to connect the responsible parties in the Alpine regions of Bavaria.
Ministry: Currently no bear sighting in Bavaria
The Environment Ministry emphasized, however, that according to the experts of the Bavarian Environment Agency, it is not to be expected that bears will settle permanently in Bavaria. "There is currently no evidence of a bear in Bavaria," said a ministry spokesperson. In the current situation, it goes mainly about observation, information and prevention, for example to prevent cattle maiming.
Spotted brown bears likely come from Northern Italy
The last brown bears spotted in Bavaria are likely wandering from Northern Italy and temporarily passing through Austria into the Free State. In the Italian province of Trentino, there are now approximately 100 brown bears due to a reintroduction project.
In Italy, it has been legal since March in the region of Trentino to shoot up to eight bears annually if they have become dangerous. Animal rights activists are outraged. Previously, there were high bureaucratic hurdles for the shooting of the animals.
In Slovakia, estimates suggest that around 1,300 brown bears live. Intervention teams are only deployed when there are dangerous encounters between humans and bears. The focus is on education and prevention, such as ensuring that garbage containers are closed to prevent bears from being attracted to houses. If animals have lost their fear, forceful measures can be taken. The teams are subordinate to the Environment Ministry.
In the Czech Republic, only a few brown bears are estimated to live, which inhabit the Beskids mountain range in the eastern part of the country. Brown bears have been extinct in the Bohemian Forest at the border with Bavaria since the 19th century.
- The proposal for an armed unit to deal with bears in Munich's jurisdiction has gained attention, with District Administrator Indra Baier-Müller of Sonthofen requesting this to Bavaria's Environment Minister Thorsten Glauber.
- The need for such a unit stems from an increase in bear sightings in Southern Bavaria, leading Baier-Müller to establish the Brown Bear initiative.
- However, the Environment Ministry in Munich has expressed caution, citing the absence of permanent bear settlements in Bavaria and focusing on observation, information, and prevention measures.
- The latest brown bear sightings in Bavaria are believed to be wandering beings from Northern Italy, with an estimated 100 bears in the Italian province of Trentino due to a reintroduction project.
- In Trentino, it is now legal to shoot up to eight bears annually if deemed dangerous, causing outrage from animal rights activists who previously faced high bureaucratic hurdles for such actions.
- Meanwhile, in neighboring Slovakia, brown bears are estimated to number around 1,300, with intervention teams only deployed for dangerous encounters, focusing primarily on education and prevention strategies.
- In the Czech Republic, only a few brown bears are believed to inhabit the Beskids mountain range, and despite being extinct in the Bohemian Forest near the Bavarian border for over a century, efforts are being made to reintroduce the species to the region.
