Bear sighting in Pärnu continues to spark interest and speculation

A bear spotted in the southwestern Estonian town of Pärnu last weekend has sparked local interest, with authorities investigating and locals sharing mixed reactions. The animal's origins likely trace to the nearby Audru River area, according to experts.
Speaking to "Aktuaalne kaamera," Urmas Salmu, a representative of the Estonian Hunters' Society (Jähimeeste selts) said: "I don't think people should go looking for it out of curiosity or try to make friends with the bear at all."
In any case: "It's long gone by now," he added.
While no further reports about the animal have been received by authorities since it was spotted early morning Sunday, after a tip-off the Environmental Board (Keskkonnaamet) on Tuesday conducted a check of the town's famous and expansive beach and its environs, using a drone but finding nothing.
Toomas Õmblus, who heads up the agency's Pärnu office, said: "This morning, we were informed by Pärnu City Government that some maintenance workers had spotted bear tracks on the beach. They asked if we could survey the area, with a drone."
Õmblus added he couldn't recall any previous incidents of a bear entering so far into the city center.
Salmu said: "Most likely, judging by the bits of information and piecing together the puzzle, it seems the bear came from the Audru River area."
The Audru River flows into Pärnu Bay just west of the city.
"It probably wandered across the small footbridge in Vallikäär, then moved toward the city center, later turned back, and finally headed toward the jetty. That's how things seem," Salmu continued.
Salmu reiterated earlier speculation that the bear's hibernation had likely been disturbed and that it may have been lured toward the city, perhaps finding scraps of food along the shoreline or river banks.
First and foremost, the animal is likely confused, and wants to escape the urban environment, and was probably looking for a new hibernation spot to resume the winter sleep.
The sighting sparked some interest among local residents.
One, Martin, told "Aktuaalne kaamera": "Honestly, it's pretty cool. You don't see something like this every day, especially in a larger town. In some rural areas, you might still see them."
Another, Andrus, was less impressed, saying: "What can I say? It's very bad that they come into the town like this. They should stay in the forest."
A third, Ave, had just been on vacation to the U.S. and had been to some of the national parks there, where bears are no rarity.
She said: "I find it very exciting; it's a great landmark for Estonia as a tourist destination. We just visited national parks in the U.S., and there, 'bear fear' is marketed everywhere, and is done very well."
The episode is not unique in Estonia generally. In May 2020, a mother bear and her cub were spotted in the Rocca al Mare district of Tallinn, which is almost in the city center yet is at the end of a lengthy green corridor stretching beyond the suburbs and into the rural areas.
If you do happen to spot a bear in an urban environment, you should call the state info hotline on 1247 – operators speak English.
Additionally, Õmblus said, "You must definitely remain calm, not chase the bear, film it, nor try to flee."
On Sunday morning, a taxi driver informed a police patrol that he had seen a bear moving near the river in the center of Pärnu. The police checked the yacht harbor and Vallikäär area but did not find the animal.
The sighting was corroborated by security footage from a camera installed at the Pärnu Yacht Club, however.
The animal is thought to be a younger individual, disturbed from its winter hibernation by the unusually mild temperatures seen recently. Bear hibernation season can last as long as March or even April.
Estonia's Eurasian Brown Bear population is estimated at around 1,000, about half the figure reported for Finland, a much larger country in terms of land area. The famed Grizzly bear is a sub-species of the brown bear, while the American black bear is not found in the wild in Estonia or elsewhere in Europe.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Merili Nael
Source: 'Aktuaalne kaamera,' reporter Kristi Raidla.