The emergency shooting of a brown bear, which is a legally protected species of wild animal, may be approved if it is a problematic individual that poses a danger, especially in the event of an attack on a person, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management announced.
They spoke out about the situation in the Nikšić village of Brestice, where four people were arrested last week on suspicion of shooting a bear to death. Police announced at the time that the animal's decapitated body had been found.
Residents of several villages then protested and supported the hunters who, as they say, responded to their call for help by shooting a bear that, as they claim, had destroyed more than a hundred heads of livestock in the past few years.
The ministry said it understands all the problems faced by farmers and residents of rural areas, and is available to provide any kind of assistance and cooperation. It noted that "all problems need to and can be resolved within the institutions," in accordance with applicable regulations.
"Brown bear management (Ursus arctos L.) in Montenegro is carried out in accordance with the Management Plan for this species, which the Government adopted in June 2024. In order to implement this plan, in April of this year, the Government adopted the Brown Bear Management Action Plan for 2025 (which is an annual obligation), with a validity period from April 1 to March 31, 2026, which highlights the most significant measures and activities that will be implemented this year," they explained.
They emphasize that the main goal of bear management is to preserve a stable bear population, in a number that ensures the avoidance of danger to the local population and their property, with as few conflict situations as possible between humans and bears, and that ensures their ability to survive and coexist with humans. This includes management within the framework of international and domestic regulations and the preservation of their natural habitats, while applying the best protection models, with an emphasis on breeding and protection, as well as avoiding danger to humans and their property, the Ministry adds.
"In order to facilitate and speed up the resolution of tasks related to the implementation of Management Plans, and especially in the event of the need to resolve urgent and unwanted situations in the field (appearance of problematic individuals dangerous to people, livestock and other property, diseases, traffic accidents, the need to scare individuals, relocation, etc.), the Ministry has established an Intervention Team, as a narrow operational body that cooperates with local users of hunting grounds, protected area managers, local residents and other interested groups," the statement reads.
They said that the Intervention Team is made up of representatives of various institutions and professions - veterinarians, representatives of the competent inspection, representatives of hunting ground users, institutions in the field of nature protection, protected natural resources and others - taking into account the territorial representation of team members.
"When a brown bear appears that causes problems (does not run away from people, repeatedly causes damage to the settlement, seeks food from human sources, poses a danger to people, etc.), it is necessary to take measures to deter the bear from undesirable forms of behavior (removing food sources, preventing access and attempts to chase or scare it away)," they add.
In doing so, as they said, a local member of the Intervention Team and the professional service for users of the hunting grounds, or protected area, should be consulted.
"If the bear continues to behave in a problematic manner and poses a danger, an emergency culling of the problematic individual may be approved, especially in the case of a bear attack on a human, as highlighted in the Action Plan for 2025. The request for an emergency culling of a bear is submitted by the hunting ground user to the ministry responsible for hunting affairs in writing with accompanying documentation: an accurate description of the place and time of the problematic bear's appearance, a description of the problematic behavior, as well as the measures taken to change the problematic bear's behavior, as well as the opinion of a member of the Intervention Team," the Ministry says.
In the event that the request for an intervention cull is accepted, the approval for its implementation will determine the time period in which it can be carried out, who can carry it out, as well as the measures that need to be taken to remove the bear that is causing the problem.
"Interventional shooting must be carried out in consultation with a member of the Intervention Team. Only in extremely urgent cases can prior approval be given by telephone," the statement reads.
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