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Bears

VIDEO: Hiker comes face to face with bear in French Pyrenees

The rare encounter was with the oldest brown bear in the mountain range

Brown bear numbers in France rise for first time in 30 years

Some 83 brown bears and 16 bear cubs were recorded in the Pyrenees last year

Call for action over bears in France after hiker killed in Slovakia

Local authorities say we ‘cannot wait until someone dies’ in France to bring in changes

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VIDEO: new film released of bear and cubs in Pyrenees before winter

The shots were collected in September and November and are part of analyses into the state of the bear population

Bears in Pyrenees prepare for long winter sleep - how many are there?

Technically, the bears do not hibernate but instead ‘overwinter’ and do still come out occasionally

France opens door to bear-scaring measures in the Pyrénées

A new decree states that farmers can request authorisation to use light and sound to scare bears if they are threatening livestock

Brown bear numbers grow in Pyrénées as jogger death reignites debate

There are now 76 bears in the region straddling France and Spain

France’s mediaeval ‘bear hunt’ festivals added to Unesco heritage list

The Fête de l’Ours now takes place in just three villages in south-west France each February, and celebrates the end of winter

Video: New signs of brown bear antics in the French Pyrenees

The bears and bear cubs have been captured by automatic cameras, with the images seen as a sign that the animals are thriving

French hunters criticise arrest of man who killed bear in self defence

A 70-year-old hunter shot the female animal which had cubs nearby in an area where hunting is restricted

Brown bear numbers growing in French Pyrenees after reintroduction

Record numbers of cubs were born last year thanks to a state-backed repopulation project, but illegal hunting and claims of broken promises from the French government are a threat

Hunter who killed bear in Pyrenees will not face charges, rules court

The decision in Spain is likely to be closely considered in France, where an investigation into a similar fatal bear shooting is still ongoing

Hunter who shot bear in south France may have been in no-hunting zone

The bear – which was with its cubs – attacked the man before he killed it with a single shot

Orphaned bear cubs likely to die, says French animal rights group

The cubs, whose mother was shot dead by a hunter in Ariège, have been left to fend for themselves with only a ‘tiny chance’ of survival

EU asks France to introduce bears for those killed in 2020

It follows a complaint made by 28 French and Spanish associations about a spate of bear killings last year

New video shows Pyrenees brown bear in good health

New video images have been released showing Sorita - a female brown bear released into the Béarn in the French Pyrenees last year - to be in good health, scratching her back, and perhaps even expecting cubs.

Wolves on rise in France as bears wreak mountain havoc

Wolf numbers are on the rise in France, it has been confirmed, in the same week as farmers have reported a record number of livestock deaths linked to mountain bears.

Bear cubs thought killed in French Pyrénées

Two bear cubs born in the Hautes-Pyrénées in January are thought to have been killed by a male bear seen following their mother.

Wild bear filmed by young boy in French Pyrenees

A nine-year-old boy has filmed a rare video of a wild bear from just 80m away, which he saw when walking with his father in the Pyrenees.

These super shy immigrants deserve to be made welcome

Of all the unjustly negative stories about Eastern European immigrants arriving in other EU countries, few compare to those about a group of burly Slovenians now living in France.

French Pyrenees: Advice as bears leave hibernation

Experts have issued guidelines on what to do if you come across a bear in the French Pyrenees, as authorities confirm that the bears in the region are now beginning to come out of hibernation this year.

Released Pyrénées bears 'in perfect health'

Animals released into wild in October remain on French side of mountains, despite efforts of local farmers and hunters to scare them into Spain

Farmers in French Pyrenees try to scare bears to Spain

Farmers and hunters in the French Pyrenees have attempted to move two female bears towards the Spanish side of the border using “scare tactics”.

Pyrénées bear release has support of shepherds

A change in attitude from shepherds and hunters alike as planned release receives widespread support

‘Problem’ bear could be moved to another area or shot

Officials in France and Spain are considering what to do about a bear which has taken to killing horses, sheep and goats and raiding bee-hives as it roams through the Pyrenees.

Hiker legs it, pursued by a bear

Holidaymaker recalls moment he faced adult and three cubs in Pyrénées

Pyrenees bear population rising

A total 43 bears were confirmed as living in the Pyrenees in 2017, with experts saying the actual figure is likely to be higher

Pyrénées bears filmed leaving hibernation for spring

An automatic camera has filmed Pyrénées bears emerging from hibernation, with images showing young mother bears and cubs climbing a tree, and even taking time to scratch their backs on the rough bark.

France rebuked for not protecting Pyrenees bears

Judges order state to pay €8,000 for “not doing enough”

Camera captures rare brown Pyrénées bear

A rare brown bear has been photographed by an automatic camera in the Pyrénées-Orientales region.

Pyrénées farmers denounce rise in bears killing sheep

Over 400 sheep are said to have been killed by wild bears in the Pyrénées in the past month, with some saying the killings are threatening farmers’ livelihoods and the sustainability of the area.

Mother bear and cub spotted in Pyrenees

Forestry agency's spycam catches family outing to a favourite tree

Brown bear population increase divides opinion

Record number of bears in Pyrenees but sheep farmers are not happy

Dispute over sheep killing by bears

Pro and anti bear groups are at loggerheads again in the Pyrenees over whether or not to reintroduce more bears.

Sleep next to bears and tigers - in the Sarthe

A zoo in the Sarthe gives visitors the chance to spend the night sleeping next to bears, white tigers or wolves. The safari lodges in the Zoo de la Flèche provide luxurious accommodation with just toughened glass between you and the wild animals.

Bears

VIDEO: Hiker comes face to face with bear in French Pyrenees

Brown bear numbers in France rise for first time in 30 years

Call for action over bears in France after hiker killed in Slovakia

VIDEO: new film released of bear and cubs in Pyrenees before winter

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