I want to start a petition to start the euthanization of bears in Latvia. In latvia there is a population of 190 brown bears and their numbers are on the rise. Bears are protected by the EU law meaning that hunting is prevented however the population of Latvia is only 1.89 million. This may seem like a lot of people compared to the number of bears however it is only 64,589km2 big. It is not big country at all. As much as people say that the likelihood of running into a bear in Latvia is very small that just isn’t true. There are bears that have started entering highly populated areas and cities which puts the public at a high risk. Usually if there is a dangerous dog that puts the public at risk, something gets done about it. So why don’t we do the same with bears? They are a huge risk to society. I am Latvian, writing this from England as there are many uneducated people protesting against this and not enough people talking about this topic. As much as I agree with protecting animal well being, however there becomes a point where some animals pose a danger if something isn’t done about it. The population of bears 10 years ago did not cause a single issue as the population was still small and they kept within the forests but as their population has grown they have started leaving the forests and roaming around civilised areas. If they kept to themselves in the forests I would not be writing this right now. They would be left alone. However this week a bear was spotted within 20 meters of my grandparents house by the lake. The place where i grew up fishing with my dad and swimming with my grandparents. The same place it was once safe to go on walks at night. If i go to visit my grandparents in Latvia i am putting myself at a high risk. Not only was the bear within 20 meters of my grandparents house, but their neighbours have small children. Imagine the constant guilt of not being able to let your children go outside and play like they should be able to because there is a risk of a bear getting to them. How do you even explain that to a little child? The constant fear of stepping outside your door and being greeted with a giant brown bear. This isn’t even the first time that this has happened. A few years back there was also a bear literally right outside of my other grandparents house. This is a serious issue and something needs to be done about it. I understand why people are against this however this only increases how unsafe the country is and this is a huge danger to the public. I cannot even put into words how scared the people must feel. Imagine living in the country side and having a bear on your doorstep. Even if this does not achieve my goals, i aim to raise awareness about this topic and how important it is to manage the population of bears in Latvia and to introduce regulated hunting. Yes i agree that not every person should be able to go around shooting bears! However, licensed and professional hunters should be able to in order to create a safe environment for the public! If people see a bear they should be able to report it to their local hunting bureau where they can then get rid of it professionally and promptly. Currently if you shoot a bear in Latvia you get a €10,000 fine, but for what? Trying to make a safer environment for everyone? Imagine going berry picking or mushroom picking like you were able to do safely a few years ago. You can’t anymore. It is unsafe to have this many bears! 

The link to see the bear outside my nans house is here:

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