A regional government official in northern Greece has sparked an outcry by suggesting that bears wandering into towns should be killed, a controversial proposal made during a council meeting on how to manage the area's growing bear population.
Paschalis Charoumenos, the Deputy Regional Governor for Agricultural Development in Western Macedonia, made the remarks amid rising tensions over human-wildlife encounters.
“To solve the problem, those [bears] entering towns should be killed. Plain and simple,” Mr. Charoumenos said..
His comments have drawn sharp criticism from environmental groups, who note that bears are a protected species under European law and advocate for non-lethal solutions.
The proposal comes as officials in the region grapple with public safety concerns due to the increasing number of bears seen in and around residential areas.