Joacim Lundqvist, wildlife officer at the police, region north.
The police had received at least a dozen calls from residents of Bjuröklubb who were worried about encountering the bear.
– It had been rummaging through bins for about five days, and it had started to show increasingly fearless behaviour. On top of that, there are lots of people in the area and also a camper site, says Lundqvist.
At 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, he decided the animal should be killed, citing section 9 of the hunting act, which states that animals may be killed if they are considered dangerous to humans. By 2:00 p.m. the team assigned to the task was on site.
– The police have four specially appointed large carnivore hunters in region north, and I had called in three of them so the hunt could be carried out quickly and safely and we could cover a wide area. I was also there, along with a police patrol.
It was a Saturday with many people staying in their cottages, lighthouse day celebrations, and even a wedding taking place.
– The police patrol’s task was to make sure motorists slowed down, but it was not forbidden to drive into the area.
Police had also urged people not to walk in the forest but to stay on their properties.
People were asked when the bear had last been seen, which turned out to be near the motorhome and caravan site. That is where the tracking dog was released to start following the scent.
– At 5:10 p.m. the bear was spotted, and about 15 minutes later it was shot while standing still by the dog handler, says Lundqvist.
When the bear was shot, it was near the turnoff towards Storsand, close to the bins where Vanje Hedlund had seen it earlier in the day.
– We judged it to be a safe place to shoot, as the nearest cottage was far away.
The bear’s body is now state property. It has been taken to a police freezer and will be sent to the national veterinary institute in Uppsala. There, various samples will be taken for mapping and research.
– After that, the body will be destroyed.
Lundqvist says all the Bjuröklubb residents the police spoke to were grateful that the decision was made and the bear was killed. He is responsible for wildlife matters within the police in region north.