News

A Bear has been Spotted in Ķibirži

It is not only the flourishing messengers of nature that suggest us that spring is just around the corner; we must also mention bears who are now waking up from their winter sleep. A Forestry Specialist of JSC “Latvia's State Forests” (LVM) noticed a bear while driving along a forest road in Ķibirži forest massif. As the car was approaching, the bear quickly disappeared into the forest.

“I think the animal could be last year's baby because it was still very small in height. Perhaps the bear's mother was somewhere nearby. This is the first bear that I have ever seen face to face so to speak. I had only seen footprints before,” says Rūdolfs Rubezis, a Forestry Specialist in LVM Rietumvidzeme Region.

Egils Ozols, Director of LVM Recreation and Hunting, tells that this is a time when bears are waking up from hibernation. Although the first grass and leaves are already blooming in some places, there are still not enough nutrients in nature yet, therefore bears are forced to travel around a much wider area in search of food.

As you go nature, you must always remember that every wild dweller is important to nature. Animals and birds should not be touched or otherwise disturbed. Large animal attacks on humans are very rare in Latvia. In most cases, animals try to avoid humans.

To learn the routes and behaviour of animals and birds, one should carefully explore their traces - not only footprints, but also excrements, grazes on trees, feed remnants and many other signs. With the #stayathome initiative you can spend a day exploring and researching animal footprints on forest paths where no one else is to be found. LVM encourages #let’sgotoforest to explore little-known trails and facilities throughout Latvia!