Residents of the town of Krichim have captured footage of a small bear cub climbing a tree near strawberry plantations and orchards. The curious incident dates back to the autumn but has only now come to light, after fresh signs of the wild animal were discovered close to the settlement. Locals believe the cub may have found suitable conditions to spend the winter in the area, and warn that if it fully adapts, it could become a problem for farmers and livestock breeders.
Traces of a bear’s presence were spotted just 20 metres from the strawberry fields near Krichim.
Georgi Kotlarov, a farmer, said: “This is the first time I’ve seen a bear here in the fields. In fact, we are only 500 to 600 metres from the town.”
Livestock on Mr Kotlarov’s farm also showed signs of distress. The cows began breaking through enclosures and electric fencing. A few days later, neighbouring farmers captured the first images of a bear in the crown of a large tree.
Mr Kotlarov said: “The bear was here in these bushes. A young man came to check why the dogs were barking and started looking into the shrubs, into the brambles… and then the bear came out. The dogs plucked up the courage to chase it, and the bear climbed up the tree.”
According to biodiversity experts, the cub was born in January last year and has been left without its mother. Its survival through the winter is seen as a positive sign, but specialists say efforts should be made to encourage it to return to the forests of the Rhodope Mountains on its own.
Alexander Dutsov, a biodiversity expert at WWF Bulgaria, said: “It should not become accustomed to being close to people. It should not be given food, because it will start to associate humans with a food source, and later, as it grows, it may enter the settlement itself and cause problems.”
The presence of the cub is also causing concern among agricultural producers.
Mr Kotlarov said: “People who have seen the bear here – and they are not just one or two – do not want to talk about it because their workers are afraid. The harvesting season is just beginning, strawberries are about to be picked, and many workers come from other places. If they hear there is a bear in the area, they won’t come to pick the strawberries.”
Experts offer a range of advice on what to do when encountering a bear, but emphasise one key point.
Chief Assistant Professor Vladimir Todorov of the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences said: “Whatever I tell you, when you see a bear, everything you’ve read, heard or watched is forgotten. The most important thing is not to run.”
There are no precise statistics on the number of brown bears in Bulgaria. Official data from the Executive Environment Agency for 2023 estimates between 320 and 330 bears, while annual counts by forestry and hunting authorities suggest the number exceeds 1,200.
Dr Todorov said: “The Environment Agency’s figure is roughly four times lower than the forestry assessments. The truth is probably somewhere in between.”
The general view among both experts and nature enthusiasts is that bears are not usually dangerous.
Dr Todorov added: “In general, our bears are not aggressive and do not seek confrontation with humans – they usually run away.”
Mr Kotlarov said: “At least in my lifetime, I have never known a case of a bear attacking a person.”
In Krichim – known as the town of strawberries – residents now joke that they have acquired a new local species: a “large Krichim squirrel”.
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