A migratory brown bear on its way through Austria has died after it was struck by a train.
The animal was fatally injured by a train operated by the Austrian Federal Railway (OeBB) travelling between the municipalities of Schwarzach im Pongau and Lend, in Salzburg State on Tuesday, 23rd May 2023.
After spotting the dead animal, they called the police and Salzburg officials, who took DNA samples to clarify the bear’s origin.
There are no native bears living in Austrian forests, and instead, only those migrating, particularly during the spring months. It means bear sightings are rare, and usually they are followed by wildlife experts.
Meanwhile, state authorities shared a number of images showing the bear’s motionless corpse covered in blood. Additionally, a video shared on Twitter showed emergency crews from Salzburg Hunters’ Association using an excavator to pick up the deceased bear from the railroad.
Salzburg Officials said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: “The bear was seriously injured in the collision with the train.
“Its left hind paw was completely severed, and the animal also had severe injuries to its head. It had lost a lot of blood.
“The country’s bear commissioner was already on site and ordered the transport to a nearby cold storage facility. The dead animal was examined there.
“It is planned for the bear to be prepared and used for training purposes in hunting training.”
The incident followed after a bear tore apart three sheep in the Rosenheim district, south of the state of Bavaria, Germany, in April.
Prime Minister Markus Soeder, 56, said: “I can’t judge whether it was the bear that was traveling in the Upper Bavarian Alps.
“We risk life and limb. The bear is a predator, as is the wolf.
“We will be sued, let’s wait and see how it goes in court. We may make adjustments.”
More than 100 bears are estimated to live in the area within a radius of 120 kilometres (75 miles) as of 2023, after the government in South Tyrol, Italy, initiated a reintroduction programme with about 50 individuals since 1999.
One of those was the infamous 100-kilogramme (220.5 lbs) black bear named Bruno whose travels and exploits in Austria and Germany in the first half of 2006 drew international attention.
Bruno – also known as JJ1 – who was the first bear seen in Bavaria in more than 170 years was killed by authorities after it went on a rampage, slaughtering dozens of sheep and chickens.
Hunter Sepp Hoheneder said: “There are too many bears in South Tyrol. They need space, which is why more and more come to us.
“That will be a very big problem for our alpine farmers with their grazing animals.”