A brown bear was illegally shot yesterday in the Ogre region, reported Iveta Pavzinuka, a representative of the State Forest Service (VMD).
VMD hunting inspectors discovered illegal hunting while conducting a scheduled inspection yesterday. On Friday evening, a hunter who shot a bear on his hunting grounds was detained.
State police and a leading researcher from the Latvian State Forest Research Institute "Silava" were called to the scene, who determined the age and sex of the bear.
The information was also forwarded to the Nature Conservation Agency.
An investigation into the violation of hunting regulations is currently underway.
The service reminds that in Latvia, the bear is a specially protected species, and hunting it is prohibited.
The brown bear is an endangered species in Europe, and its protection in Latvia is provided for by the European Council directive on the protection of natural habitats, wild fauna, and flora. The brown bear species conservation plan in Latvia was first developed and approved in 2003. The goal of this plan is to promote the preservation of a favorable status of the brown bear population in the Baltic States indefinitely and to achieve this status in Latvia without establishing a deadline, minimum, or maximum allowable number of animals.
Currently, Latvia is experiencing a stable recovery of the brown bear population, which has reached 120 individuals. In comparison, Estonia is home to over 1,000 bears.
The brown bear is the largest predator in Latvia. Female bears can weigh up to 150 kilograms (kg), while males can weigh up to 300 kg. The lifespan of a brown bear can exceed 30 years, and it has no natural enemies in Latvia.
