A three-month-old bear cub was saved by a local couple near Kozani in northern Greece after she was separated from her mother.
The little bear found refuge in the garden of Pavlos and Martha, who gave her temporary shelter, before they notified Kozani Forestry Service and “Arcturos,” a non-profit organization focusing on the protection of wildlife fauna and natural habitat.
Experts calmed down the terrified cub, giving it some food and water, and began searching for her mother in a wooded area near where she was found.
The cub was placed inside a makeshift structure, which could not escape, but it would be easy for the mother to get it out of there.
Unfortunately, this did not happen and so “Arctouros” picked up the bear again the next morning and took it to the Wildlife Reintroduction Center, where it will grow for a year and then it will try to re-integrate it into the wild.
In May 2023 an orphaned bear named Thomas, who was found wandering alone in the area of Florina, northern Greece the year before, was returned to the wild after being cared for in the facilities of Arcturos.
The reintroduction of the wild animal was carefully planned by volunteers and vets. After being sedated for the necessary veterinary tests, he was fitted with a transmitter collar and taken to a forest area of Mount Vitsi.
The cage door opened and Thomas rushed off to a free life in the forest!
The bear population in Greece is over 450
Greece is currently home to an estimated population of 450 brown bears. The majority of these bears live in the mountainous regions of northern Greece, including the Pindos and Rhodope Mountains.
The bear population in Greece has faced numerous challenges in recent years, including habitat loss, poaching, and conflicts with humans. However, the Greek government and several non-governmental organizations, including Arcturos, have implemented various conservation measures to protect the species and mitigate these challenges.
These include designated protected areas, such as the National Park of Pindos, and installing electric fences around beehives to reduce conflicts with local beekeepers.
In March 2023, another bear made headlines in Greece when she was spotted feasting on honey and destroying beehives. The mischievous bear is believed to have eaten 40kg (88 lbs) of honey!
The sizeable animal was unexpectedly recorded by automatic cameras that had been set up by members of the environmental group “Kallisto”. The group was alerted to the havoc caused by the creature in the broader region of Goumenissa by local residents.
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