Sweden has authorized the culling of around 500 brown bears, about 20% of the country’s total bear population, estimated at 2,500.
The government aims to control the bear population, but environmental organizations are raising concerns about the potential consequences.
Brown bears were nearly extinct in Sweden due to excessive hunting, but conservation efforts increased the population to around 3,300 in 2008.
However, annual hunts have caused a decline. Last year, the government allowed the culling of 648 bears; this year, they authorized 486.
Nature conservation groups fear this could push the brown bear toward extinction again in Sweden.
“We can absolutely not continue to shoot this many bears if we are to have a stable bear population around the 2,400 bears we have today,” said Jonas Kindberg from the Scandinavian Bear Project.
“Bears take 3 to 4 years to mature. They have only a few cubs at a time and only every 2 to 3 years. During the hunt, it is very difficult to tell females from males, and the females are much more valuable to the population,” he said, adding that the killing could lead to long-term population damage.
The government considers the ideal number of bears in Sweden to be 1,400.
Bears in Romania and Italy
In addition to Sweden’s decision to kill a significant portion of its brown bear population, similar actions have been taken in Italy and Romania due to increasing conflicts between bears and humans.
In Romania, the government has approved the killing of nearly 500 brown bears this year, more than double the previous year’s number.
Italy has also faced controversy, particularly after the killing of a mother bear, sparking widespread outrage and protests from animal rights groups.
Follow for daily animal news – Support animal welfare journalism
