Bears roam Gyovren nightly; authorities plan to capture and relocate them

For several weeks, two young bears have entered the Rhodope village of Gyovren in Devin municipality almost every night. Authorities have decided to capture the animals and relocate them far from people. The operation is led by the Agriculture Ministry, the Executive Forest Agency and the Trigrad state forestry, with the Smolyan environmental inspectorate providing camera traps and capture traps. One resident says a bear roams the village centre around 6 a.m., shortly before schoolchildren set off at 6:30.

Damage to livestock, beehives and fruit trees usually rises in autumn before hibernation, but this year it is 30% lower than last year, the Smolyan inspectorate says. It has won an EU project funding 80 electric fences, a tranquilliser gun, camera traps and thermal binoculars, though the equipment has not yet arrived. Village mayor Snezhana Chavdarova said no bears had entered Gyovren for three evenings but that fencing the whole village is impossible. The annual bear census in the Western Rhodopes starts next week.