A young female bear with obvious gunshot wounds has been found dead near Stavropotamos in the regional unit of Kastoria, according to an announcement by the environmental group Callisto on Wednesday. This is the fourth bear found dead in the area in the last three months, of which three had clearly been shot, the group said.
The latest dead bear was found on Tuesday and the local forestry service was informed, which in turn informed 'Callisto'.
The organisation, which specialises in the protection of brown bears, said the young female was a lactating mother and an effort has been launched to locate and save the young cubs, as they are unable to survive on their own.
An examination of the body shows that the bear was shot five times from the back, indicating that the animal was fleeing at the time.
Callisto pointed out that the killing or injury of a bear is a criminal act and it called for an investigation of the repeated shootings and killings of bears in Kastoria by the authorities, to find those responsible.
Bears in Greece are fully protected as an endangered species, according to Greek and international law and both bears and their habitat are protected by various laws and treaties.