Overview

• Two donkeys were found dead near Pfunds last weekend in what authorities believe was a brown bear attack.
• Tissue and hair samples have been sent to Vienna’s Research Institute for Wildlife Biology and Ecology for genetic confirmation of bear involvement.
• Tirol authorities emphasize that all bears sighted in recent years have been shy and that there is no elevated danger to the public.
• The regional government has issued guidelines advising hikers to stick to marked trails, make noise during outings and promptly report any sightings of large predators.
• Across the border in Bavaria, the state environment agency has recorded about 70 bear reports under its stage-1 management plan to monitor transient animals.