Residents near Bulgaria's mountains report frequent encounters with brown bears, the country's largest predator.
Such encounters cause fear and concern, leading to damage to property or domestic animals.
Experts from the Executive Environment Agency at the Ministry of Environment and Water have launched annual monitoring to understand if the behaviors are driven by overpopulation or a disrupted balance in nature.
Brown bears have been observed near settlements, primarily searching for food.
Residents living near Bulgaria's mountains are reporting increasingly frequent encounters with the country's largest predator – the brown bear.
Author's summary: Brown bear encounters increase in Bulgaria.