“I Saw a Bear and Froze on the Spot”: Is Sandanski Doing Enough to Address the Danger?

Reports continue to come in of a bear being spotted near the zoo on the outskirts of Sandanski and in the nearby village of Lilyanovo, around 5–6 kilometres from the town. Local residents have been urged to exercise caution and avoid walking in areas where the animal has been seen.

Yana, a resident of Lilyanovo, says she encountered the bear several weeks ago while working in a field. The animal suddenly appeared about five metres away from her.

“I happened to look up and saw a bear. I froze on the spot. It stayed there for a while before moving down the steep slope to another spot, again just five or six metres away from me. We looked at each other for some time, and then I lost sight of it,” the woman recalls.

Despite the experience, Yana is not afraid to leave her home and continues to visit her field.

According to Georgi Kamenarov, manager of the zoo, reports of sightings have come from various locations. Some refer to a bear with a cub, while others describe an animal without one.

He says the bear continues to roam the area and may remain there until winter sets in.

Kamenarov says that, if necessary, the animal could be captured and relocated to an area far from populated places. He cites recent cases in the Rhodope Mountains, where two bears spotted near villages were relocated.

According to him, one possible reason bears are coming down to populated areas is a lack of food in the mountains. Summer droughts can also force wild animals to seek food in lower-lying areas, including the fields and farmlands near villages.

Kamenarov also mentions a practice in the Czech Republic in which discarded fruit, vegetables and other food are left in bear habitats. The aim is to keep the animals higher up in the mountains and ensure they have enough food before winter.

On Friday, Sandanski Municipality urged residents to avoid visiting the area around the zoo or to exercise particular caution if they needed to pass through it. Kamenarov says visitor numbers fell on the first day after the warning, but gradually recovered afterwards. The situation is currently calm.

Lilyanovo Mayor Nikolov confirms that two encounters with a bear have been reported.

The relevant institutions have been notified. The local authorities are also warning residents through the village’s Facebook group, urging them to avoid walking or working in gardens in high-risk areas and to exercise extra caution.

There is still no definitive information about how many bears are in the area. According to the mayor, there may be two animals, but this has not been confirmed. People who have seen them describe bears of a similar size, but it remains unclear whether they are referring to the same animal.

Reports of bear sightings in the area continue to come in, and the animals’ presence near populated places is causing concern among local residents.

People are advised to follow safety recommendations, avoid areas where bears have been spotted, and not attempt to capture or drive away the wild animals themselves.

The aim is to prevent incidents and ensure the safety of both people and bears.