To be honest, they are not quite approaching Riga, but 150 km is not a distance for agile predators. We have seen wild boars on the streets of the capital — are we waiting for bears?
Now just the facts.
A brown bear has been spotted in the Laudona parish of the Madona municipality. This was reported by the parish administration, urging residents to exercise maximum caution.
According to the local government, the bear was seen near the village of Belyava. Additionally, there was an incident of the predator attacking a beehive — six bee colonies were destroyed. Photographs from a forest surveillance camera and images of the destroyed hives have been published as confirmation.
Local residents are asked to be especially vigilant while walking in the forest, near farms, and in sparsely populated areas.
The parish administration reminds that if encountering a bear, one should not approach the animal, attempt to photograph it, or attract its attention in any way. Experts advise to remain calm, slowly back away, and not to run. Dog owners are recommended to keep their pets on a leash.
Residents are also asked not to leave food waste in the forest, which can attract wild animals.
According to the Environmental Protection Service, the population of brown bears in Latvia is gradually increasing, so encounters with these animals are becoming more frequent in various regions of the country.
As we recently reported, in Estonia, the situation with bears is quite dire, and hunters are urging authorities to start culling them.
