Warning: Bear! Incident in Karlovo sparks new debate about bears

Security cameras captured a bear in a residential neighborhood of the town of Karlovo a few days ago. The predator came down to the houses in the northern part of the town and walked calmly along the streets until it was startled by a passing car. After reports from residents, round-the-clock patrols by teams from the State Forest Service were immediately deployed. So far, the animal has not caused any harm to people in Karlovo.

However, this incident is far from isolated. In various populated areas across Bulgaria, encounters with bears are becoming more frequent due to a lack of natural food in the wild, combined with easily accessible food near human settlements. Early frosts damaged fruit trees and acorns - primary food sources for bears - forcing them to seek alternative sources in towns and villages, experts from WWF warn. According to them, this does not mean a sudden increase in the bear population, which remains stable, but is instead the result of changing conditions.

In response to the growing number of incidents, WWF Bulgaria recently launched an informational campaign on social media aimed at teaching people how to behave if they encounter a bear. The most important thing is to stay calm and not run, as running may provoke the animal. One should slowly back away without turning their back on the bear. Bears should never be fed, as they lose their natural fear and begin to associate humans with easy food. 

The campaign emphasizes that awareness is the key to safely coexisting with this protected species, which is vital to our ecosystem.

• WWF Bulgaria draws attention to bear conservation

Edited by Veneta Nikolova