Mother bear murdered in Montenegro

Poachers in Montenegro have shot dead the mother of two young brown bear cubs - a particularly dramatic case of wildlife crime, which has seen a significant increase in the country.

poached mother bear in Montenegro

Although the female bear posed no danger to humans in the forest, she was shot by poachers. For the two cubs, the chances of survival without her mother are poor.

Last week, a family of bears took up residence in the Montenegrin municipality of Berane. One of the cubs fled up into a pine tree in a hotel courtyard where it was then harassed by a number of people who had gathered to watch. A bear emergency team, set up by EuroNatur in order to respond to exactly this type of situation, travelled to Berane from the capital Podgorica and was able to diffuse the situation. During the night, the cub climbed down from the tree and was shepherded by members of the rescue team back to the nearby forest, to which its mother and the other cub had already returned.

Whilst the rescue team remained in the area to check whether the youngster had been reunited with its family, the task force received a terrible message: poachers had shot the cubs’ mother in the forest, 12 kilometres from Berane. As they are not yet two years old, the cubs’ chances of survival are poor. That evening, two suspects were arrested by local police in a village near to the scene.

This latest murder is just one in a whole series of wildlife crimes in Montenegro. Time and again, endangered species such as brown bears, griffon vultures and pelicans are being shot there. Most cases result only in suspended sentences or the imposition of small fines - that is, if the authorities investigate at all. In only one case has a poacher been sentenced to 30 days in prison. Our partners at CZIP, together with numerous other Montenegrin nature conservation organisations, are therefore calling for a five-year hunting moratorium in order to, among other things, reform the law on hunting, strengthen the capacity of the country’s hunting inspectorate and put it under the direct control of the environment ministry.

How you can help

Donation

Future needs nature. EuroNatur cares for it. Please use your possibilities to help. With your donation you will make an effective contribution to a more livable environment.

Sustaining membership

EuroNatur focuses on long-term nature conservation projects instead of quick fixes. With your regular donations, you give us the planning security we need.

News

Skavica mega dam: Albanian court to scrutinise special law for U.S. contractor Bechtel

++ Constitutional complaint filed by NGOs accepted for trial ++ First milestone in fight against one of Europe’s largest reservoirs ++ Thousands of…

Growing opposition to Albanian airport

++ Bern Convention calls on Albania to stop airport construction near Narta Lagoon ++ Project in Vjosa Delta endangers thousands of migratory birds ++…

EU Commission targets the wolf

Ursula von der Leyen warns of allegedly "dangerous wolves" - nature conservation organisations criticise misleading statements and dubious data…

Romanian forests: EuroNatur calls for a logging moratorium

+++ Open letter to Commissioner Sinkevičius calls for a logging moratorium in protected areas to end destruction of Romanian forests +++ Fourth…

Controversial airport construction in Albanian protected area casts shadow as far as Munich

++ Operating company Munich Airport International (MAI) is linked to illegal Vlora airport ++ Construction to take place in protected area of special…

Swimming for the monk seal

The Croatian free water swimmer Dina Levačić has been swimming in potential monk seal territories. Her campaign is aimed at drawing attention to the…

Wolf Offspring confirmed in the Black Forest

++ Photo trap image from the community of Schluchsee provides evidence of offspring ++ First wolf pack in over 150 years in Baden-Württemberg ++

Stork Village meeting in Tykocin, Poland

It was an anniversary celebrated in style: For the 20th annual meeting, representatives of the European Stork Villages met for the first time in the…

A slight sigh of relief for the Dalmatian pelicans

The Dalmatian pelicans at Lake Skadar are breeding successfully. This is all the more gratifying because last year's breeding season was disastrous.