A 2.5-year-old male bear cub was found dead after being shot in the head in the Pyllori area of Kozani, northern Greece, prompting an investigation by local forestry authorities.
The animal was discovered after a local resident informed the Tsotili Forest Service, which then notified the bear emergency response team of environmental organization Kallisto, as well as a public veterinarian in the area.
Following a veterinary examination, carried out under the coordination of the forestry authorities, the bear was buried. The Tsotili Forest Service will now investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Illegal killing of protected species
According to Kallisto, the killing or injury of a bear is an illegal act punishable under criminal law. The organization stressed that this is not the first case in which a bear has been illegally killed by humans.
“Poaching continues to be a major problem and threatens species protected by law, such as the bear,” Kallisto said in a statement.
The organization highlighted that the brown bear in Greece is a strictly protected species under national and international legislation. Its protection is covered by Greek forestry law, the European Union Habitats Directive, the Bern Convention and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
The bear is also classified as an endangered species in Greece’s Red Book of threatened animals.
Call for public awareness
Kallisto urged citizens who encounter bears near residential areas or human activity to immediately inform the relevant authorities, including forestry services or the police. If necessary, the official response protocol for bear intervention teams will be activated.
The organization noted that encounters between bears and people in inhabited areas of Western Macedonia require coordinated action by authorities, but stressed that such incidents cannot justify the illegal killing of bears.
