Mild winters in recent years have caused bears to shorten or skip hibernation, resulting in an increase in their number and more sightings in urban areas in North Macedonia.
Skip Hibernation
A growing bear population has posed a threat to residents in western North Macedonia, where bear break-ins are becoming more regular.
Last year, a dozen incidents were recorded of bears attempting to break into houses in search of food by terrified residents living in the mountainous territory of the country's largest national park, Mavrovo.
Some locals have urged that the authorities take immediate action to safeguard them.
Stojance Angelov, the head of the National Crisis Management Center, said that the national park's brown bear population has doubled in the last five years.
"There are between 160 and 180 brown bears in Mavrovo National Park. Experts indicate that there should be up to 70 bears in this region, and their number now has doubled," he added.
Brown bears have been protected in North Macedonia since 1996. Angelov noted that bears are breeding at an increasing rate and are no longer hibernating due to global warming.
"Bears are now active during winter, and this alone makes them search for food to survive year round. It is becoming more and more common for bears to have three cubs each, which used to be a rarity," he said.
Similar difficulties have been reported in neighboring Greece, where farming unions claim crops and bee hives have been harmed.
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Bear Attacks Reported
A Danish skier was hurt in a bear attack in a nature park in North Macedonia.
The unidentified skier was rushed to a hospital in the western city of Tetovo. During the attack in the Shar Mountain area, he injured his left leg.
Angelov underlined the necessity of taking measures when visiting bear habitats, such as sticking to designated pathways and avoiding attracting bears with food or trash.
Last year, an endangered brown bear was killed near an Italian national park, causing outcry in Italy.
The marsican brown bear was shot in the environs of San Benedetto dei Marsi, in the mountainous Abruzzo area. The park characterized the killed animal, dubbed "Amarena" for the black cherries she enjoyed eating, as one of its most productive brown bears.
Local lawmakers and animal rights campaigners were outraged by Amarena's murder, as park officials searched for her cubs, fearing for their safety.
Local police recognized and questioned the suspected shooter, who said he shot Amarena out of panic after finding the mother bear on his land.
Angelov also said that, according to the residents of the village of Zirovnica, there are about 30 bears that feed in the area and often enter the village.
They pose a danger to the lives and health of the villagers, especially because there are many children.
Experts also noted that this year, there isn't enough food and fruit, and bears are approaching the community more regularly.
Communities are carrying firecrackers to terrify and drive them away. For the time being, no attacks on people have occurred, but it is only a matter of time before they do.
Zirovnica villager Sanie Kukoli says bear attacks on livestock have increased recently. "Several calves have been eaten; four to five cows have been killed and eaten by bears. The situation is alarming," he said.
The crisis center chief stated that locals are demanding that officials declare a state of emergency in the municipality and remove the bears' threat.
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