Three brown bears were killed within 48 hours in Western Macedonia—including Kirkē, a young female bear rehabilitated and recently released by the non-profit environmental organization ARKTUROS. In response, the Panhellenic Federation for the Environment, Animals and Hunting ‘Nemesis’ has placed a €3,000 reward for information leading to the identification and prosecution of those responsible.
Two Shot, One Poisoned
According to official reports and statements from conservation groups, two of the bears were killed by gunshots—both shot in the back. The first incident occurred in Pylori, Kozani, where a 2.5-month-old cub was found dead. The second involved an 8-year-old male bear in Armenochori, Florina. The third victim was Kirkē, who died after consuming poisoned bait—specifically, a fox trap laced with poison (commonly known as ‘follas’)—in the Kolchiki area of Florina.
Kirkē’s Story: From Rescue to Tragedy
Kirkē was severely injured in a road accident near Dispilio, Kastoria, in August 2025. She was rescued by members of the environmental group ‘Kallistō’, then transferred to ARKTUROS for rehabilitation at its facilities. After months of care, she was successfully released back into the wild just weeks before her death. Her GPS collar—used to monitor her reintegration—allowed ARKTUROS staff to locate her motionless body on 13 June, confirming she had died shortly after ingesting the poisoned bait.
Conservation Groups Demand Action
In a public statement, ARKTUROS condemned the killings as symptoms of systemic failure: ‘Three dead bears in two days—one of them Kirkē, the young bear we cared for and returned to nature just months ago. These are not isolated incidents. They are the most tragic proof that coexistence between humans and bears remains unmanaged.’ The organisation called on Greek authorities to urgently implement existing protective measures and launch thorough criminal investigations—warning that such crimes must not go unpunished, as they have too often in the past.
Nemesis, in its Facebook announcement offering the reward, pledged full confidentiality to informants and pointed to hunting forums and individual hunters as ‘moral perpetrators’ of the violence against wildlife.