Bear cubs separated from mothers venture close to human settlements in unusual numbers

An unusually large number of brown bear cubs separated from their mothers are roaming near residential areas in Finland this spring, according to a large predator contact person cited by Finnish public broadcaster Yle. The development follows a particularly successful breeding season last year.

The observations prompted concern in the Jyväskylä and Muurame areas in central Finland over recent days. A bear that repeatedly approached residential areas was shot dead on Tuesday by order of the police, after attempts to drive it away failed. Earlier in the week, a daycare centre in Muurame was placed on lockdown due to a bear sighting nearby.

Samuli Raappana, a large predator contact person for the Korpilahti-Muurame area, said the bears involved are likely so-called separation cubs — young bears that have become detached from their mothers and not yet learned to avoid humans.

“They wander near human settlements because they don’t really understand yet what people are,” Raappana said.

Brown bear mothers typically give birth to one to four cubs per year, with litters of four being rare. Raappana said litters of three have become more common in recent years, contributing to a higher number of young bears now moving through the landscape.

Raappana stressed that encountering a bear in the wild or on one’s property remains very rare under normal circumstances. He advised people who come across a bear to make noise and make themselves known, which usually causes the animal to leave. If bears behave fearlessly and approach people, the public should contact the emergency services and then a large predator contact person.

Bear sightings can be reported to large predator contact persons, whose data is collected by the Natural Resources Institute Finland in a database called Tassu.