The brown bear, believed to be four or five years old, arrived on the island more than a month ago after keeping Estonians on tenterhooks when it was spotted adrift in the Baltic Sea on a small block of ice in early April.
A helicopter rescue team that was dispatched to rescue the bear had to turn back empty-handed because of thick fog. Nature conservation officials warned after the failed rescue mission that the bear was probably dead.
But days later, islanders on Ruhnu said they had spotted what looked like bear tracks on the island. A hunting expert confirmed the paw prints were those of a bear.
At first, Ruhnu's inhabitants shared Estonia's relief that the brown bear was alive and well and had not drowned in the Baltic.
But more than a month later, after several failed attempts to tranquilize the bear and take it off the island, the 60 islanders want the bear's hide.
They have appealed to the environment ministry to shoot the animal if attempts to catch it fail, as the presence of the large wild animal on Ruhnu means their children cannot play outside. Some islanders also fear the bear will start destroying farmland.
"The team sent to trap the bear has a one-way ticket to the island. That means they will not return before they solve the problem," Environment Minister Villu Reiljan said Thursday.
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.
