Brown bears may have returned to Switzerland, more than 100 years after disappearing from the Swiss Alps.
Reports indicate a bear was spotted high in the Alps, near eastern Switzerland's border with Italy, where there is an established bear population, the BBC reported Wednesday.
Officials say they are looking for evidence, such as bear droppings, hair or tracks to confirm the sighting.
The presence of brown bears in Switzerland is controversial since conservationists would welcome them but some shepherds fear for their flock's safety.
The Swiss government is reportedly eager to see the return of the bears, which the BBC said were hunted to extinction along with wolves and lynxes in the Alps during the 19th century.
Switzerland's capital, Bern, is named after a bear, although the BBC notes its medieval founder was inspired by the first animal he killed during a day of hunting.
The last bear in Switzerland was believed killed in 1904.
Copyright 2005 by United Press International
Related stories:
Deadlines set for designating polar bear habitat
(AP) -- The federal government will designate "critical habitat" for polar bears off Alaska's coast, a decision that could add restrictions to future offshore petroleum exploration or drilling.
Study: urban black bears 'live fast, die young'
Black bears that live around urban areas weigh more, get pregnant at a younger age, and are more likely to die violent deaths, according to a study by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).
Gummy bears that fight plaque
The tooth-protecting sugar substitute xylitol has been incorporated into gummy bears to produce a sweet snack that may prevent dental problems. Research published today in the open access journal
BMC Oral Health describes how giving children four of the xylitol bears three times a day during school hours results in a decrease in the plaque bacteria that cause tooth decay.
Emotional robots in the spotlight
(PhysOrg.com) -- A robot with empathy sounds like the stuff of sci-fi movies, but with the aid of neural networks European researchers are developing robots in tune with our emotions. The tantalising work of the Feelix Growing project is grabbing the world’s attention.
Loss of Wolves Causes Major Ecosystem Disruption at Olympic National Park
(PhysOrg.com) -- Olympic National Park was created in 1938, in part “to preserve the finest sample of primeval forests in the entire United States” – but a new study at Oregon State University suggests that this preservation goal has failed, as a result of the elimination of wolves and subsequent domination of the temperate rainforests by herds of browsing elk.
Food for thought
Pioneering research from The University of Nottingham recommends a full government environmental audit of British restaurants. The report — ‘The Environmental Sustainability of the British Restaurant Industry: A London Case Study’ — has revealed that the environmental cost of getting food to the restaurant plate is far higher than previously thought.
Federal polar bear research critically flawed, says new study
Research done by the U.S. Department of the Interior to determine if global warming threatens the polar bear population is so flawed that it cannot be used to justify listing the polar bear as an endangered species, according to a study being published later this year in Interfaces, a journal of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS®).
When bears steal human food, mom's not to blame
Researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) found that the black bears that become habituated to human food and garbage may not be learning these behaviors exclusively from their mothers, as widely assumed. Bears that steal human food sources are just as likely to form these habits on their own or pick them up from unrelated, “bad influence” bears.