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BEAR
The brown bear has the widest worldwide distribution of all species of bears. Until recently it was found in North America, northern Mexico, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. Today however, bears are only found in northwestern North America, Europe and most of North Asia. In Greece there are an estimated 450 bears living in two independent populations, which are not geographically linked. The largest population lives in the Pindos Mountains, and the other in the Rhodope Mountains. In recent years there has been consistent evidence of the presence of bears in the mountain axis of Vora-Olympos and Central Greece, even down to the mountainous Nafpaktia, an area where there have been no sightings in the last 70 years.
BEAR
- Poaching and extensive use of poisoned baits: both result in the death of the animal.
- Fragmentation and loss of habitat: the main reason for this is human intervention, with the construction of large road projects, indiscriminate opening of forest roads, illegal logging, fires, and the installation of wind turbines and dams. Indicative of the problem is that since 2003 more than 50 bears have been killed in road accidents.
BEAR
- The brown bear is the only species of bear that lives in mainland Europe and, after the polar bear, is the largest species of bear in the world.
- Adult male bears in Greece usually weigh 150-200 kg, have an average length of about 2 m., and a height of 1.10 m.
- Female bears in our country are smaller and usually weigh around 100 kg.
- During the autumn season in Greece, a bear can travel more than 180 km in search of food.
- Bears are omnivores - the proportion of plant foods in the diet of a Greek bear exceeds 85%!
- They do not attack humans unless they feel that they, or their cubs, are being threatened.
- Bear cubs weigh only 200-300 grams when they are born.
