Brown Bear On The Run In Estonia
News24.com, Bear Hunting Magazine05/26/2006
Tallinn - A brown bear which crossed the Gulf of Riga on a floating chunk of ice continues to evade hunters on the Estonian island of Ruhnu, environment ministry officials confirmed on Wednesday.
"Hunters with specially-trained tracking dogs found the bear's trail, but the bear is so clever that the dogs can't catch it," environment ministry spokesperson Egon Niittee admitted.
"When the bear heard the dogs, it ran into the sea, so the dogs couldn't smell it," he added.
Bear 'could be dangerous'
The bear first hit the headlines April, when fishermen spotted it drifting into the Gulf of Riga on a floating chunk of ice. The animal disappeared in fog and was feared drowned.
Paw-prints were then seen on the Estonian island of Ruhnu, which lies in the Gulf of Riga, 37km from the nearest land. The reports alarmed locals.
"The bear could be dangerous for our children. We want it taken away," campsite-owner Kaarel Lauk told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.
Woodland offers food
Ruhnu, which covers 12 square kilometres and has a population of 70, is two-thirds covered in forest. The woodland provides ample food and cover for the travelling bear.
"Now that it's spring, the bear has a lot of food in the forest," said the head of PR at the environment ministry, Harli Uljas. "And the supply will increase over the summer.
"There are no signs of it wanting to harm people," he added.
Bear caused minor tourist boom
The bear's story has become a media sensation in Estonia and neighbouring Latvia, and created a minor tourist boom on Ruhnu. The tourists have not had an altogether positive effect, however.
"The hunters put out bait so they could shoot the bear with sleeping darts," said Uljas. "But some people wanted to see the bear, so they went to the spot where the bait had been left.
"That scared the bear away."
Officials would not confirm what steps the hunters will now take. Leading Latvian daily newspaper suggested that they were planning to build a hide in a tree, concealed from the bear and the tourists.
Whatever the plan, it will clearly be a grizzly challenge to outwit Ruhnu's seafaring bear.
