Seafaring bear booms tourism

2006-05-19 19:43

Tallinn - The tiny Estonian island of Ruhnu was expecting its population to double on Friday, as tourists headed to the island on the trail of an adventurous bear.

"Tomorrow about fifty tourists will come to the island to look for the bear," said Kaarel Lauk, who owns a campsite on the island.

The latest bear-following figures put Ruhnu's population at 70.

The saga began in April, when fishermen reported spotting a bear drifting into the Gulf of Riga on a floating chunk of ice. The animal disappeared in fog and was thought to have drowned.

Then paw-prints were seen on Ruhnu, which lies in the Gulf of Riga, 37km from the nearest land. The reports alarmed locals.

"The bear could be dangerous for our children," said Lauk. "We want it taken away."

Specialist hunters from Estonia?s ministry of the environment were sent to Ruhnu to bring the bear back - alive - but their efforts were hampered by weather and curious locals.

"The hunters put out bait so they could shoot the bear with sleeping darts," said Harli Uljas, head of PR at the environment ministry.

Bear hunt into its fourth week

"But some people wanted to see the bear, so they went to the spot where the bait had been left.

"That scared the bear away."

The hunt is now into its fourth week, and conditions are becoming increasingly difficult for the hunters. Much of the twelve-square-kilometre island is wooded, providing ample cover for shy animals.

"Now that it's spring, the bear has a lot of food in the forest," said Uljas. "And the supply will increase over the summer."

'We want to be nature friendly'

The spring bounty at least reduces the danger to humans.

"There are no signs of the bear wanting to harm people," said Uljas. "It hasn't caused any trouble or damage."

And the bear's presence is proving a powerful boost to tourism.

"If the bear stays over the summer, it could be very good for business," said Lauk. "Tourists come to the island to see it."

But despite having reached dry land, the animal is still treading on thin ice.

"We want to be nature friendly, but if the animal tries to harm people, we will kill it," said Uljas. "And the problem is that a lot of tourists now want to see the bear."

Hopefully, Uljas' hunters will score a hit soon. Otherwise, to protect human lives, they may be forced to bring the sailing bear's adventures to a sudden end.

- SAPA