Recently, we have been hearing more and more about bears appearing not only in Lithuanian forests, but also in urban areas. Do these huge predators really pose a danger to residents?
Agnė Lancevičė, a former famous circus artist who worked with bears, told the news portal tv3.lt about the lives of bears, their behavior, and their relationship with humans.
"You can't compare domesticated animals raised from a young age to what's in the wild, and there's no clear difference," she explains.
When Agnė first saw a bear on a leash in a circus, she realized how big the difference is between a domesticated and a wild animal.
"In nature, bears are not domesticated, they are not raised by humans, and humans are as much a danger to bears as bears are to humans," she says.
When talking about the intelligence of bears, Agnė compares them to puppies. "An animal like a puppy, when it comes to domestication and mastery, you raise it like a puppy at home."
However, she warns that wild bears should not be fed through car windows or otherwise encouraged to approach people, as this will cause them to forget their natural instincts.
“Bears are very intelligent,” says Agnė. They have a unique character, are social, and are able to adapt to their environment.
Are bears dangerous to humans?
Many people may be worried about the thought of a close encounter with a bear, especially if it happens in the city rather than in the forest. However, Agnė reassures: "in Latvia "and in Estonia, where bears have lived for a long time, there are no statistics that they have attacked or eaten a person."
She explains that bears only attack when they feel directly threatened or injured. "If they're not scared of anything, if no one is trying to hurt them, they're more afraid of humans than humans are of them. They retreat, they're definitely not the first to enter a conflict."
At this time of year, when food is abundant in nature – from grass to berries and apples – bears are well-fed and don't feel compelled to attack people or livestock.
What should you do if you encounter a bear?
If a person accidentally encounters a bear, the most important thing is not to provoke aggression.
"If you don't start scaring her or acting aggressively, she won't attack," says Agne.
The bear will move away because it has no need to attack a person unless it is frightened or injured.
She reminds us that bears are not animals that attack people - on the contrary, they tend to avoid encounters.
The most important thing is not to lose your sanity, respect the lives of bears, and remember that in this world we are just one of many life forms with whom we share nature.
Check to see if a bear has passed by your house
These days, news about a bear roaming around Lithuania has been circulating non-stop. It received a lot of attention when it was spotted in Vilnius over the weekend, and many are watching to see what happens next and what fate awaits the wild animal. We present you a map of the places in Vilnius where the bear was spotted.
Check to see if a bear has wandered onto your street – it has been recorded in many different places in the capital.
The news portal tv3.lt contacted Vilma Juozevičiūtė, Chief Specialist of the Organizational Department of the General Assistance Center, who told us where the bear visited in Vilnius - the route was helped by calls from residents.
Initially, she revealed where the bear that captured the attention of all of Lithuania was traveling on June 14. According to her, the first call was received that morning.
"On June 14, we received the first call at 10.31:XNUMX a.m., when it was reported that a bear was in Avižieniai, on Žiburių Street. Later, the calls we received were mostly from Tarandė."
Then those who saw her on Raisteniškės, Giesvės, Geduliškės, Tarandės, and Kerpių streets called.
Then, during the day, there were no more calls, but in the evening we received calls from the Zujūnai eldership.
There were several villages there – Medžiakalnis, Papiškės, Platiniškės. It was recorded on the following streets: Medžiakalnis, Kalvų, Mickevičius, Rūtai, Platiniškės – it is not far from Pilaitė,” she said.
The bear was later spotted at night. The specialist explained that from June 14 to 15, calls were received from Blindžiai, Ozos, Ukmergės, and Ateities streets in the Šeškinė microdistrict of Vilnius.
Meanwhile, by morning, the bear's location had already changed - at that time, calls were received reporting its presence in Didžioja Riešė.
"Then in the morning, around 9 o'clock, a woman saw a bear and said it was already in Didžioja Riešė, on Žalioja Street."
The calls had subsided again during the day, apparently the bear was resting, and in the evening she was seen again in Riešė, calling from Forest, Silas, Beržai and Žirgų streets.
Then, on June 16, the last call was received at 8.18:XNUMX a.m. and the caller said that he had seen a bear on Mokyklos Street about an hour ago,” said V. Juozevičiūtė.
According to the latest data provided this morning by the LSMU Wildlife Conservation Center, the bear has already left Vilnius - the brown bear is moving in a northerly direction.
"We are reporting that the brown bear is continuing to move north through forested areas, towards Asveja Regional Park. We are continuing to closely monitor the situation."
We thank all institutions that contributed to this operation - your help is very important and significant! ", wrote the LSMU Wildlife Conservation Center.
Source: TV3.lt
