A brown bear weighing as much as 200 kilogrammes has been spotted on the outskirts of the Moravian city of Zlín. The authorities say the animal could be passing through the area but have warned locals to exercise caution.
The brown bear, Europe’s largest predator, was once common in this part of the world. The animal was exterminated from most of the Czech lands during the 17th and 18th centuries before making something of a comeback.
Since the early 1970s there have been occasional bear sightings in the Beskid Mountains in the very east of the country. However, the animal, which never disappeared in the nearby Slovakia, tends to remain in deep forest, well away from human settlements.
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Author: Ian Willoughby