70 Bears to Be Killed in Slovenia
When the number of bears to be killed in 2006 was set at 100, the European Commission expressed concern that the number was too high, and the bear population could not sustain such aggressive culls. “It also pointed out that, based on Slovenia’s own figures, the cull could eradicate 25 per cent of the country’s bears.” The EC also stated that the manner of population estimation coud be improved and the current estimate is questionable.
A study conducted by scientists from the University of Freiburg and the University of Veterinary Medicine in Austria concluded the current reliance on killing bears annually to manage the whole population needs to be changed, “>3.3.) Slovenia has to solve its problems not only by culling, but also by public awareness campaigns, changes in the decision making processes, and applied research.”
With small populations, inbreeding can become a threat to the survival of the species.
For example a very small population of wild wolves in Michigan is experiencing deformities of the spine because of inbreeding among a population of less than 30 animals. It would seem prudent that Slovenian bears have their DNA or reproductive material sampled regularly to build up a gene bank larger than the actual number of animals that are currently allowed to live by the government.
Image Credit: Copyright-free-images UK
If bears could only communicate, would they like to have a say?
Why??? What is to be gained from culling these beautiful bears…or any other creatures for that matter…OMG if the four legged animals of this earth were to be given a gun…I think we would be in big trouble!!!!!MMMMM should make us all think!!!!
Why??? What is to be gained from culling these beautiful bears…or any other creatures for that matter…OMG if the four legged animals of this earth were to be given a gun…I think we would be in big trouble!!!!!MMMMM should make us all think!!!
Why? You would not ask that if u lived here. Du you know the size of Slovenia? There are 500 bears on such a small area. Every year there are a a couple of people killed by a brown bear. I wonder if you would think like that if you saw a bear on the street a couple of metres from your front door. I also don’t like to see this beutiful animals beeing killed but this is yust something that has to be done.
“Every year there are a a couple of people killed by a brown bear.”
This statement is not true at all. And even in the extremely rare case of a bear attacking a human, it is usually because the person surprised the bear, or the bear is a female with cubs and the person gets too close.
Bears have killed only 3 people in Slovenia in the last 45 years.
forests.org/archive/europe/bearaman.htm
ok mayby i am wrong about the kills, but at least 3 attacks which reasulted in heavy mutilation happened in 60 km radius from my home. And i don’t need to hear that they are not agressive. But with the numbers of the bears attacks are in inevitable. And John if u quouted an article at least read it… You will se how serious is the situation. Would u be so concerned about the bear if it would be your children who face them in the way to school?
Just another quote from the article that says it all: “A bear looks so lovely to those living in towns, but if you face one almost every day you begin to hate it,” Mohoric said.
That’s funny. There aren’t any bears facing children on the way to school!
And no one has to face a bear every day.
Bears DON’T kill humans, unless the humans are doing something wrong.
Bear education is what is sorely lacking in these situations.
I live in Slovenia and number of incidents with those beautiful animals rise. Farmers and their animals suffer most. We could see many times very bloody pictures in newspapers. Domestic animals so far. Sheep, goats, horses, cattle so far. Government pays damage to the farmers.
The bear population is growing and bears have no natural predators. Bears at age 3-4 years wants to find their new territory and could came into villages and many people in rural areas saw them right beside their homes.
Estimated number of bears vary a lot. From 400 to 800. Depends who make this estimation
So killing about 100 bears/year is necessary to keep the population strong and under control.
This shouldn’t be political issue!
“The situation is so critical that in some villages kids need a bus to take them to school only a kilometre or so away because they run into a bear virtually every day,” Maksimilijan Mohoric, state secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, told Reuters. Is he lying? And educate me.. what does a child need to do when he faces a 400kg mother bear when he is going to school? Btw have u ever even seen a bear?