Bear kills eight sheep in Vardø attack

A bear killed eight sheep after breaking into a fenced pasture near Grunnesbukta in Vardø early Thursday, Dagbladet reports.

Sheep farmer Arnt Støme said he received a call from police around midnight. “We didn’t believe what we heard. There has never been a bear here before,” he told the newspaper.

By the time Støme arrived, the bear had already attacked the flock. Eight sheep were dead, some so severely injured they had to be euthanised. “The bear was there for about 15 minutes. Some sheep were partially eaten, others just beaten to death. It was a terrible sight,” he said.

The pasture is about a kilometre east of Komagvær, close to the E75 road. Several motorists witnessed the attack and filmed it.

Støme described the incident as deeply unsettling. “This is open tundra landscape. We’re used to the occasional wolverine passing through, but a large bear jumping the fence is hard to comprehend.”

The bear remains at large. Local farmers have applied for a culling permit, which will be reviewed by the Troms and Finnmark county governor. If approved, a damage control team will be dispatched, though Støme noted tracking the animal will be difficult.

Christer Michaelsen, senior advisor at the Norwegian Environment Agency, confirmed eight sheep were killed. Investigators collected hair and saliva samples for DNA testing. “We’ve finished our work at the site. The carcasses have been removed, so the bear has no reason to return,” he said.

Michaelsen urged the public to report any sightings but warned against approaching the animal. He also dismissed speculation that the bear might be the same one recently spotted in Berlevåg. “We don’t know where it is, and we can’t confirm if it’s the same bear. That’s just guesswork,” he said.