The brown bear is the largest beast in Europe, the king of the forests and one of the largest carnivores in the world, which can only be threatened by humans.
In Montenegro, it is a strictly protected species and hunting it has been prohibited for years, but it is increasingly common for it to attack domestic animals in settlements, but rarely people.
In Banjani near Nikšić at the beginning of April, a bear slaughtered a 700-kilogram ox, and in the village of Pišteta it attacked and injured horses, and there have been numerous attacks on herds and beekeeping.
Hunter and ranger at the Piva Nature Park, Miljan Grubač, was lucky enough to survive a brown bear attack in November last year.
While hunting wild boars near Pluzine, in the northwest of the country, he came across the beast next to a rock.
"I was unfortunate enough to be within a meter and a half of him."
"The bear attacked me immediately, people can't understand what kind of bite it was and what kind of force it was, it caused severe injuries to my head and entire body," Grubač describes for the BBC in Serbian.
He did not lose consciousness during the entire attack.
"The bear also bit into my purse that had my phone in it, so I couldn't call the other hunters, so I started shouting to call them, but then it came back and attacked me again."
"We fought for a while longer and at one point he let go of me," the hunter adds.
Miljan then managed to somehow get down the slope and call his colleagues who helped him, and was soon transferred by helicopter to a hospital in Podgorica, and later, due to extremely serious injuries, he continued treatment at the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade.
He suffered permanent consequences from that fateful day – he lost an eye.
"I've run into bears before, but at least 20, 30 meters away."
"I always managed to scare him away by making noise, but this time it seemed to be too close and he probably got scared when I came along," says Grubac.
There are approximately 3.950 bears living in the Balkans, which is the second largest population in Europe, according to data. WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) world nature conservation organization.
"If you encounter a bear, get away as quickly as possible"
On June 23, the National Parks of Montenegro warned visitors to Lovćen, Durmitor, Prokletije and Biogradska Gora on social media that the bears are in the breeding phase and are more active and moving around in search of a partner.
Females with cubs are searching for food, so there is a greater chance of them encountering people in nature.
Authorities warn that bears attack when they feel threatened, and that visitors should stick to marked trails and make noise so that the bears can hide in time.
"When encountering a bear, move away as quickly as possible, do not make sudden movements, do not run, and do not climb a tree."
"Do not linger to film or take photos in that area," the announcement states.
However, it's not just tourists who are the problem.
In mid-April, four people were arrested on suspicion of killing a bear with a firearm in the town of Brestice, in the municipality of Nikšić.
On that occasion, police found a bearskin and seven hunting rifles in the trunks of cars, it was announced.
Although the law allows bear hunting only with the consent of the Ministry of Forestry, locals organized support protest arrested hunters.
They claim they were saved from a predator who was destroying their livestock and spreading fear in the village.
Bears have always been there, only now this wild animal has started to descend into villages and attack livestock not only in the open, but also in stables, says Nikola Marković, director of the Hunting Association of Montenegro.
The case of an attack on a hunter is not the first, and each one is extremely dangerous, he adds.
"We had that in Berane, then in Nikšić, and now this case in Plužine."
"About twenty years ago, there was a fatal case in Berane, when he attacked an old woman," Marković describes.
Other Balkan countries have similar problems – Croatia and Bulgaria have recorded deaths in a short period of time, as has the Czech Republic.
Montenegro's hunting grounds are covered with cameras, but the footage shows that bears are reluctant to go to the feeders, but "prefer to cause damage and there are aggressive individuals," he says.
"Nature needs bears and we take care of them, but we have to do something to protect tourists, hikers and all people, where there are no hunters, there is chaos."
According to estimates, there are between 420 and 450 brown bears living in the hunting grounds of Montenegro, and the population has a slight growth trend, said Miloš Janković, Head of the Hunting Directorate at the Ministry of Agriculture of Montenegro, for BBC Serbian.
Since the previous winter was relatively mild, the question is whether all the bears were in hibernation - the so-called winter sleep, but with the arrival of spring they all set out in search of food, which is not very abundant in nature during that period.
"This has led to frequent attacks on livestock and beehives in rural areas. "Bears, by the way, really love honey, which is why they cause the most damage to beekeeping," says Janković.
Damage to apiaries
In the quiet village of Lepenac near Mojkovac, not far from the main road to Berane, I talk to Đuro Vlaović and his wife Zorka.
Over coffee and cookies, they tell me about an unusual encounter with a bear – in their yard.
"Early in the morning around seven o'clock I heard banging, so my wife and I went out behind the house and saw a bear throwing away the roofs of the beehives."
"We shouted and at one point it stopped and ran into the forest, but it had already caused a lot of damage, luckily no one was hurt," says 85-year-old Vlaović.
They called the neighbors and informed the authorities.
The bear completely destroyed ten hives in their son's apiary, and also caused damage to a neighbor's.
"We are asking the authorities to react urgently, because the bear poses a great danger to the locals, and there is an elementary school nearby," warns the pensioner.
To ease the hardships of beekeepers, the Ministry of Agriculture has been approving subsidies for the purchase of electric fences for apiaries in the amount of 50 percent for the last four years.
The emergency response team will be more efficient after additional training scheduled for the second half of the year, the ministry announced.
To compensate for damage caused by a bear, household owners must meet strict requirements, whether it concerns attacks on beehives or livestock.
Based on the Law on Game and Hunting and bylaws, in hunting grounds where there are bears, wolves and jackals, livestock can only be released to graze when accompanied by a shepherd.
Livestock must be confined at night in stables or in fenced-in outdoor areas under the supervision and constant presence of a shepherd and with a guard dog tied up.
It is also prescribed that in hunting grounds where there are bears, apiaries must be fenced off, under the constant supervision of the owner - a guard with a guard dog that must be tied up.
"If, despite the measures taken, game causes damage, the owner or user of livestock and land shall submit a request for an assessment of the damage to the user of the hunting ground, within three to 15 days from the date the damage occurred," the regulations state.
The human factor is crucial
The brown bear is on the list of strictly protected species that are prohibited from being exploited, disturbed or endangered, Marija Iković from the Center for Bird Research (CZIP) tells BBC Serbian.
Montenegro adopted a brown bear management plan in July 2024, and an Action Plan in April 2025.
These documents prescribe measures that can be taken in the event of damage caused by bears.
The action plan envisages the formation of an Intervention Team responsible for going out into the field and reacting.
When there are repeated cases of a brown bear "seeking food from human sources and posing a danger to humans", it is necessary to deter the animal by removing food or by erecting fences to make access difficult, and it is also suggested to try to chase or scare the animal.
"The intervention team is responsible for going to the scene of the report and taking measures to drive the individual away, and only as a last resort, if it is assessed that the bear is still problematic and poses a danger, can it be approved for culling," says Iković.
She recalls two cases when bears regularly came to settlements to pick up animal food that people had thrown away.
In Rožaje it was a container, and in Nikšić it was a place where local slaughterhouses dumped waste.
"Immediately after removing the container, the bear did not return and the problem was solved."
"This indicates that people often lure bears by improperly disposing of waste, unaware of the consequences this can cause," warns Iković.
Ten days ago, bear Aleksandar received a telemetric GPS/GSM collar in Durmitor National Park, and CZIP says that this has already provided their team with important insights.
"We have information that he crossed Tara five times."
"It mostly moves at night when it is looking for food. Then it travels great distances, while during the day it is in dense forests where it is peaceful," she says.
The information collected will be helpful in identifying the habitats and corridors they use and help avoid unwanted encounters between bears and humans in the future.
Bears are most numerous on Tara
It is in Tara National Park, where the largest population of brown bears in Serbia lives, that a female bear with three cubs was spotted near Lake Perućac at the end of June, prompting authorities to issue a statement with advice on what to do if you encounter them:
- Do not move along the shoreline and around the lake during night hours and in the early morning hours.
- If you spot a bear, especially a cub, do not approach it and move away immediately without panic.
- Do not approach the shore on which you spot a bear with your vessels.
- Do not approach swimming bears in boats.
- If you have a dog, keep it on a leash - a dog can disturb the bear and provoke an attack.
- Do not leave food or trash in nature – this attracts wild animals.
- Camping is not allowed.
Watch the video: How the brown bear from Tara lives
Bonus video:
