A bear was removed from a residential area in Kastoria

A bear, quite familiar with the peri-urban environment, was removed from the peninsula of Prophet Ilias, very close to the city of Kastoria, as part of an operation by the statutory Immediate Intervention Team in which the environmental organization “Kallisto” participates, and in collaboration with the Forestry Directorate Kastoria.

The male bear, about 4-5 years oldrepeatedly approached from the lake (swimming) the peninsula of Prophet Ilias, at a very short distance from the urban fabric of the city of Kastoria, as a result of which it was decided jointly with the Kastoria Forestry Directorate that the best method for managing the specific incident is the capture, radio tagging and reintroduction of the bear in a remote forest environment of the Grammos massif.

In the early hours of last Saturday and after efforts lasting two weeks, the special traps were activated, the bear was immobilized by the specialized staff of the “Kallisto” organization, while to ensure the safety and well-being of the animal, it was stunned in the presence of a veterinarian of the Kastoria Regional Unit as well as a representative of the Kastoria forest office.

In particular, the bear was fitted with a GSM/GPS radio collar and then transferred to a special transport cage and reintroduced to a remote and wooded area in the Grammos massif. The re-introduction was done using special deterrents for bears, in order to maximize the negative stimulus to the animal, so that it does not easily return to a residential area again. The bear’s movements will be monitored on a daily basis through a special geo-platform both by the Forestry Service of Kastoria and by “Kallisto” in order to prevent any re-approach of the animal to a residential area.

It is noted that the financial support to the environmental organization, for its participation in similar enterprises, is provided by the Green Fund.

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