The Slovenian government signed an agreement with France last September to send five bears to the Pyrenees where the local bear population has almost completely disappeared.
But many villages' farmers and locals have protested the French government's plans to restore bears in the region claiming the animals will pose a threat to hikers and shepherds and create havoc among cattle and sheep.
As part of the campaign to prepare the arrival of the bears, a delegation of mayors from the Pyrenees visited Sneznik and Kocevje, another region in Slovenia's southeast where bears will be captured, on April 11.
"By French request, we have to send first three female bears," Jonozovic said, adding that the only required timeline was that the bears aged between three and six be translocated between April and August.
Name: Brown Bear (
Ursus arctos)
Primary Classification: Ursida (Bears)
Location: Mainly Canada, Alaska and Russia. Also Europe, Syria, northern India, the continental United States and other countries.
Habitat: A variety of habitats, preferring open areas such as tundra, alpine meadows and coastlines.
Diet: Mainly vegetation, including grasses, roots, moss, bulbs and tubers. Also insects, fungus, small mammals, salmon and carrion.
Size: Averages 5 to 9 ft from head to rump and 200 to 1,700 lbs in weight.
Description: Dense, dark brown fur; small, amber-colored eyes; broad, black nose; small, round ears; shoulder hump; long, curved, nonretractable claws.
Cool Facts: It has some of the largest olfactory membranes in the animal kingdom, allowing it to detect scents from over a mile away. It uses its claws to dig for roots and tubers, excavate small mammals from their burrows, dig depressions in the ground for resting and to mark trees, communicating territorial boundaries and reproductive status.
Conservation Status: Common, but threatened in some parts of its range.
Major Threat(s): Habitat loss and poaching.
What Can I Do?: Visit
Bear Trust International and
Ursus International Conservation Institute for information on how you can help.
