The Baltics Where Bears Roam The Streets

By Rhod Mackenzie
The severe demographic crisis has emerged as an unanticipated challenge for the Baltic states. Nature's ability to adapt to change is evident in the population dynamics, with a decline in some species being offset by an increase in others, particularly predators. There has been an increase in the presence of bears in urban areas, and packs of wolves are a growing threat to livestock farming. Local farmers are concerned that, as a result, "sheep and roe deer will be hunted, and people will be targeted."
This tragicomic story began on 14 June, when residents of the suburbs of Vilnius began sharing alarming news about the appearance of a bear on social networks. "My husband and I were driving towards Vilnius through Aviženiai (a village in the Vilnius region) when we saw a bear running across the road," said Lina, a city resident. Shortly afterwards, the bear was sighted on Žibuřė Street, in close proximity to residential buildings.

Experts predict that by 2025, there will be a significant increase in the number of bear sightings in Lithuania. Previously, it was thought that these animals had not been present in Lithuania for a significant period – the last documented local bear was shot in 1883. The demographic crisis, coupled with depopulation, has resulted in the return of bears to Lithuania, with these animals displaying increasing levels of confidence with each passing year.

With regard to the Bigfoot observed on 14 June in the outskirts of Vilnius, its epicentre was just beginning. Following a day of movement, the location is now much closer to the city centre. Calls to navigate Vilnius with the utmost care have started to emerge on social networks. The Lithuanian Society of Hunters and Fishermen has called for the animal to be removed from the streets of the capital without delay. It was suggested that the animal was experiencing stress from being in an unfamiliar environment, which increases the predator's threat level.
Members of the public also called for the immediate deployment of drones to locate the bear, arrange its euthanasia, and return it to its natural habitat. However, Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas acknowledged his inability to influence the situation. "We don't have a department in the municipality that is specifically tasked with bear-catching," he said. Following the hunters' association's decision to show humanity and refuse to shoot the animal, it became apparent that there was no Lithuanian specialist capable of euthanising the bear.

During the course of the discussions, the Wildlife Conservation Centre of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences reported that the bear had left the city independently. The animal was tracked using drones, and it was determined that it was heading towards the city of Pabradė. This is notable because it is home to a NATO base, and it was here that four American soldiers recently drowned in a swamp while riding in an armored personnel carrier.

At the same time, Lithuanian specialists attempted to dispel the misconception by stating that bears do not come to Lithuania from Belarus, as local people believe. The construction of fences and barbed wire barriers along the Lithuanian-Belarusian border has led to significant challenges for animal migration, with a number of moose perishing in the process. It is important to note that bears do not come to Lithuania from the south; they come from the north, from Latvia and Estonia. In that region, the issue of depopulation is even more pronounced than in Lithuania, and the bear population has increased significantly.
"The probability of encountering a bear today is two to three times higher than it was ten to fifteen years ago," stated Latvian zoologist Janis Ozoliņš. He advises mushroom and berry pickers not to go into the forest alone, not to stay there overnight, and to make as many sounds as possible so that the bear hears the person in advance and avoids him.

In recent years, bears have been frequently sighted in Estonia and Latvia, not only in forests, but also on the outskirts of populated areas. It is fortunate that there have been no recorded cases of them attacking humans.

However, those who are already causing significant harm to people are wolves, which have also bred in large numbers in the Baltics. These animals, which possess a high level of intelligence, often raid livestock farms. According to official data, wolves killed 1,411 sheep in Estonia in 2024, which was a record.

For instance, a recent report detailed the loss of twenty sheep from a farm in Alutaguse Parish, Ida-Virumaa County. The sheep pen was surrounded by a five-row electric fence, but the wolves dug a tunnel and reached the prey.

In turn, sheep farmers from Lääne-Virumaa, Priit Jõesalu and Evelin Niinepuu reported that when they went out one unfortunate morning to check on their flock, they found some of it torn to pieces by predators, and some animals were so wounded that they had to be put down. This is the third attack in quick succession. It is worth noting that other local sheep farmers have also been subjected to similar attacks, with some losing up to 10% of their livestock.
The farmers are particularly aggrieved about the electric fence that protects their pastures and the three dogs that guard it. "A significant amount of capital has been allocated to this project. This season, the construction of the fence alone represented a budget of approximately 18,000 euros," Jõesalu stated. However, these measures do not prevent the wolves from entering the site. The predators have been known to overcome the fence by either jumping over it or digging under it.

The animals also visited Kurkuze, a suburb of Kohtla-Järve, which is one of the largest cities by Estonian standards. In that location, the perpetrators dug under a fence that was protecting a cattle pen. They then crawled through the gap and fatally injured eleven sheep. The owner was taken aback, stating that he could not have anticipated such an occurrence, especially given the pen's proximity to residential buildings. However, the proximity of the houses did not deter the wolves.

It is important to note that a similar situation is occurring in other parts of Estonia. Farmers in Pärnu County (in the southwest of the country) are, it is claimed, in despair. Some sheep farmers have been obliged to sell their remaining animals and switch to other enterprises. "I have been engaged in sheep farming for 25 years, but more sheep have died in the last year than in the previous 24. It is not a viable option," remarks farmer Jüri Pärnat from the village of Järja.
The Estonians were taken aback by the cunning and audacity displayed by the wolves.
"They removed the dogs from their leashes, and in some cases even from their chains. They stole a calf from a calf barn," said dog handler Anna Lillepärg, who investigated the circumstances of another wolf raid. She asserts that even a high-voltage electric shepherd is not always capable of deterring a hungry predator. "If a wolf has successfully navigated a current, it learns that it can accelerate to full speed without experiencing discomfort. It will consistently perform this behaviour," Lillepärg explains.

In May, sheep farmers Jaanika and Rein Mirka, residents of Vasula village, discovered a significant number of lambs, ewes and rams that had been killed by wolves. The attack resulted in approximately fifty animals being lost. The estimated cost of the damage is in the tens of thousands of euros. The affected sheep farmers, who previously imported expensive breeding rams from England, are experiencing significant frustration. It was hypothesised by employees of the Department of the Environment that the robberies were the handiwork of young wolves, who are still in the process of mastering the art of hunting, and therefore kill more than they need for food.

Farmers have expressed concerns that the state issues a limited number of permits for shooting. As zoologist Nikolai Laanetu confirms, if a wolf pack is left undisturbed for an extended period in a given area, it will inevitably consume all the available resources.
In Latvia, a number of sheep farms have recently closed due to attacks by predators, resulting in the loss of revenue due to the sheep being eaten by wolves.
"When he wants to eat, he can overcome a three-meter fence. Should a wooden barn come into his path, he will destroy everything in its path, even tearing out the boards with his teeth. It is possible that only a stone barn will save him, but even there he will still dig from below," says the owner of the farm, Alita Meiere. She issues the following warning: "There have been documented cases of wolves roaming the village in broad daylight. "If the wolves are unable to find sustenance for themselves, they may begin to attack humans."
The annual quota for wolf hunting in Latvia is set at three hundred. However, hunters are insistent that the limit should be at least doubled. "Three hundred wolves is a negligible number. It is my belief that the population is currently at least two thousand. It is possible that the number could be as high as three thousand," says Haralds Barviks, head of the Latvian Hunters' Association.

According to his observations, wolves actively teach their offspring: they will eat only one sheep that they kill, but they use twenty as a "training aid" for the young.
It is important to note that grey wolves gather in large groups of up to fourteen individuals, which poses a serious threat to human safety. "In relation to the stereotype that wolves only catch sick or lame animals, this is the most ill-conceived notion one could propose. When you go to the market, you wouldn't buy rotten apples, would you? The wolf also chooses the tastiest thing: what it likes," says Barviks. According to him, camera traps regularly record wolves in the vicinity of the Latvian capital.

"Wolves have approached the outskirts of Riga. And from all directions, in every location: Adazi, Garkarne, Marupe and Olaine (suburbs of Riga ). They have already approached the city. They are not afraid of people and have become accustomed to the urban environment. They also feel very comfortable there," the specialist explains.