Bear Hunting Launched in Estonia - 96 Animals Allowed to Be Killed

This year, the Estonian Environmental Council has set a limit of 96 bears for the initial hunt, which is about 10 per cent of the number of bears and close to the annual increase. 

This is reported by ERR.ee.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency's monitoring data, there are approximately 900-950 bears in Estonia, and the bear population has been growing steadily over the past 15 years. However, the growth in numbers is accompanied by problems: bears cause damage to beekeepers and farmers, the frequency of encounters with people has increased significantly, and young bears are increasingly getting lost in populated areas. Until last year, the number of cases of damage caused by bears was also increasing. 

The Environmental Protection Agency sets hunting volumes based on the number of bears and the plan for the protection and control of large predators. The latter stipulates that the number of litters with cubs should be at least 70. In 2022, there were 96 litters, the highest number in the last 20 years.

This year, hunting for 16 bears is permitted in Lääne-Viru County, 15 in Ida-Viru County, 13 in Jõgeva and Järva County, 11 in Harju County, eight in Tartu County, seven in Viljandi County, five in Pärnu County, three in Raplama County, two in Polva County, and one each in Laane County, Valga County, and Voru County.

In most cases, human-bear encounters are peaceful, but the Environment Department is concerned about the number of reports of encounters outside of bear habitats - in settlements or other cultural landscapes.

"This trend indicates that natural habitats are occupied by older relatives, and young bears are looking for habitats in close proximity to humans. Each such encounter increases the likelihood of a dangerous situation. Therefore, in addition to protecting bears, we also need to limit their number," said Lilo Kukk, Deputy Director General of the Environment Agency for Wildlife.

The bear is a strictly protected species, and hunting is only allowed in exceptional cases to prevent damage and ensure safety, provided there are no alternative solutions and favourable conditions are maintained.

The bear hunting season begins on 1 August and lasts until the end of October.  

As The Gaze previously reported, a bear attacked a border guard in Kuusamo, Finland, near the Vartius border station. During his evening jog, the man was listening to music in his headphones and did not notice any movement near him. Suddenly, the bear attacked from a ditch. The border guard pretended to be dead, and the bear left him alone without causing any harm.