Authorities closing in on fugitive bear in southern Germany

Bear trackers on Friday briefly caught sight of a fugitive brown bear who has been wandering southern Germany and Austria, but the animal eluded capture again, Bavaria's environment ministry said.

Photo: Authorities closing in on fugitive bear in southern Germany

Authorities in the southern German state have been trying for days with the help of a team of Finnish hunting dogs to capture the bear alive, after a previous discussion of shooting the animal sparked an outcry from animal rights activists.

The bear, officially named JJ1, but dubbed Bruno by the media, ambled into Germany last month from northern Italy, where he was part of a program to reintroduce the animals to the Italian Alps.

Though Bruno is the first bear sighted in Germany since 1835, he is seen as an unwelcome visitor because he has killed livestock and approached homes. Authorities say his lack of shyness could make him dangerous to humans.

The trackers came within 600 meters (650 yards) of the bear around 1 a.m. local time after one of the dogs detected its scent, said Manfred Woelfl, an official with the Bavarian environment ministry.

"The bear became nervous and distracted and we had the chance to move in undetected," he said. But the darkness posed too much of a danger to the trackers and they had to give up.

The state's environment minister, Werner Schnappauf, said recent sightings gave him hope that authorities will capture Bruno soon.

"The trackers are getting always closer to the bear," Schnappauf said. "We're doing everything to remove him from the wild alive."

The bear was struck by a car Wednesday near the Sylvenstein reservoir south of Munich, but apparently wasn't badly hurt and managed to escape. Local authorities asked residents to be on the lookout and inform police of any sightings or tracks.

If captured, the bear is to be released in a nature reserve near Munich, or returned to his home in northern Italy, reports AP.

O.Ch.