The owner of the property in the village of Blizna, from which a young male brown bear disappeared at the beginning of September, asked the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to grant him permission to keep the animal permanently, but he did not respond to the invitation and did not provide the Agency with evidence on the basis of which would they be able to answer his request in the affirmative.
This is what the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) told "Vijesti" yesterday.
Previously, the owner of the estate, Miljan Miličković, reacting to the writing of "Vijesti" about the disappearance of the bear, said that he had submitted a request to the Agency, but that no one from the EPA had ever visited him or called him.
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Bear Đuro was "temporarily" taken care of by Miličković in July 2023. He reported the disappearance of the bear on September 12 of this year. Three months later, the veterinary inspection determined that the bear was still missing.
The EPA previously told "Vijesta" that Milicković did not report the animal's disappearance to them.
"In accordance with the Law on Nature Protection, I submitted a request to keep the Đura bear, whereby I provided accommodation that is ten times greater than the conditions provided for in the Rulebook on Closer Conditions for Keeping and Breeding Protected Wild Animal Species. "Although the Agency was obliged to go to the field and check the conditions in which the bear was kept, no one from this institution ever visited my park or even called on the phone to ask about the health of the animal," stated Miličković.
The Agency, which is headed by Milan Gazdić, confirmed to "Vijesta" yesterday that Milicković submitted a request for a permit for the permanent keeping of one individual of the brown bear species on August 30, 2023. They also said that, in accordance with the Law on Administrative procedure, 27.11.2023. Sent an invitation to Milicković.
"For the purpose of making a statement and submitting all available documentation related to the request in question, and for the purpose of providing the party with a procedural and legal opportunity to submit evidence that would prove and materially and formally justify the submission of the request, and above all with the aim of establishing decisive facts and circumstances that are important for the resolution of the basis of the submitted request, that is, he informed the Agency in detail about the conditions related to the accommodation of an individual of the brown bear species. "Milicković did not respond to the invitation, although he was properly informed about it," they told "Vijesti".
As they added, Milicković, instead, submitted a letter to the Agency "in which no new facts" related to his request, "nor evidence that would justify granting his request" were stated.
"Likewise Mr. "Milicković did not submit data on the basis of which the Agency could determine the factual situation regarding the conditions of keeping the bears, even though he had procedural and legal possibilities for this and a summons for investigation," they told "Vijesta".
The agency, as they add, based on the collected evidence, "and especially the minutes of the Directorate for Inspection Affairs, Department for Inspection, Forestry, Hunting and Plant Protection, determined that the individual bear cub was left by an unknown person at the gate of the zoo".
"And that it was handed over to the applicant for temporary custody by order of the hunting inspector. From the above, it follows that he did not acquire the individual with the intention of keeping it in captivity, nor was the individual in question given to him for permanent custody, which makes his request unfounded," said the Agency.
As there is no national shelter for animals in Montenegro, they add, the brown bear cub was given to Milicković for temporary care.
"Until the moment of recovery and finding a more favorable solution, which will protect his well-being in the best possible way." From the attached documentation, but even after the invitation to give a statement, the applicant did not attach the documentation that would support the justification of handing over the animal for further breeding and keeping, that is, the fulfillment of the conditions", said the "News" Agency.
According to the international organizations "Animal Survival International" and "Four Paws", the bear should have been moved to a bear sanctuary in Bulgaria, based on the consent of the Government of Montenegro. In June, at the 37th session, the government adopted information regarding the case of taking care of a brown bear cub.
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