Lithuanian Hunters Decline Government’s Request to Eliminate Wild Bear in the Capital

WARSAW – A young female bear caused a stir after wandering out of the forest and into the leafy suburbs of the Lithuanian capital.

For 48 hours, the brown bear roamed around Vilnius, casually strolling through residential areas, crossing busy roads, and even venturing into people’s backyard, all the while being pursued by curious onlookers armed with smartphones and, later on, drones.

The government then issued a permit for the bear to be shot and killed.

However, this behavior did not sit well with the hunters in Lithuania. Given that the country harbors only a small population of these protected animals, the hunters were hesitant to take any drastic action.

The Lithuanian Association of Hunters and Fishermen said it was shocked by the government order.

The head of the association, Ramutė Juknytė, expressed to The Associated Press on Wednesday that the bear in question was a lovely young female, approximately 2 years old, who certainly did not warrant being shot. Juknytė emphasized, “She was frightened but not displaying any aggression. She simply found herself lost in the city with no way out, and she did not pose any threat.”

The organization tracks the movements of bears. It believes there is only five to 10 bears in the Baltic nation, but does not have a precise number.

The drama began on Saturday when the bear entered the capital. It was the first time in many years that a bear had entered the city and it became a national story. The animal came within about 4-5 kilometers (about 2-3 miles) of the city center.

Since causing a stir with their permit to kill the bear, Lithuanian authorities have been on the defensive.

Deputy Environment Minister Ramūnas Krugelis said that a kill permit was issued purely as a precaution in case the bear posed a threat, according to a report by the Lithuanian broadcaster LRT.

The hunters proposed a more humane approach: sedation, tracking and relocation.

As the debate over the bear’s fate unfolded, she took matters into her own paws and wandered out of the city.

Juknytė said that the bear was recorded by a camera on Wednesday, peacefully wandering through a forest some 60 kilometers (40 miles) from Vilnius while munching on corn.

Brown bears are native to the region and were once common. They were wiped out in Lithuania in the 19th century due to hunting and habitat loss.

In recent years they have started reappearing in small numbers, typically wandering in from neighboring countries like Latvia and Belarus, where small bear populations still exist. Bears are protected under Lithuanian and EU law as they are considered a rare and vulnerable species in the region.