After two days of tension on the streets of Vilnius due to a brown bear roaming the city, the mayor of the capital Valdas Benkunskas announced specific actions being taken to ensure the safety of residents and assist responsible institutions. According to the mayor, although the municipality does not have a special "bear trapping department", the situation requires an immediate response.
"Although we do not have a bear trapping department in the municipality, when such an animal is recorded in the city, we cannot sit and do nothing," he says. V. Benkunskas.
According to the Wildlife Conservation Center of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, the bear's exit from the city area has already been recorded, but the threat remains - the animal may return, and its behavior and movement routes are extremely difficult to predict.
Given the unpredictability of the situation, the mayor announced several directions for the municipality's actions:
- Thermal imaging drones. It has been instructed to find out how many such devices the municipality has and how they can be used in the northern and northwestern parts of Vilnius, where the animal's movement was last recorded.
- Video camera monitoring. Employees of the municipal company "JUDU" have been asked to be especially careful when monitoring video cameras at traffic light intersections. If a wild animal is spotted, the information would be immediately forwarded to the responsible authorities.
- "Floor" readiness. The Vilnius utility company has been urged to be ready to step in if logistical or technical assistance is needed.
The mayor also addressed the residents, urging them to remain vigilant and follow the recommendations:
- If you spot a bear, do not provoke it, do not approach it, and do not cause additional stress to the animal.
- If possible, safely record her location and immediately call emergency services on 112.
In recent days, a bear was filmed in Tarande and on Ukmergė street, it has aroused both interest and worry – especially because of its potential danger. Brown bears are listed in the Red Book, so their presence in Lithuania is not only an ecological signal, but also a public safety challenge.
Vilnius city authorities assure that the situation continues to be actively monitored, and the city is ready to respond to any possible changes in the bear's movement.
