Where a brown bear killed sheep a few days ago, numerous day trippers were out and about at the weekend. “The shock has subsided,” said Simone Braun, landlady of the “Bichlersee” mountain inn in the municipality of Oberaudorf. Most of the tables on the terrace of their inn were occupied on Saturday. Cyclists and hikers treated themselves to a break in the most beautiful spring weather.
In a nearby pasture, the bear killed two sheep and wounded a third, which had to be killed. “The day after the incident there was a lot of excitement, but the next day everything was fine again,” said Braun.
“I have respect, but I’m not afraid,” said Thomas Breitenauer, who was hiking in the Upper Bavarian community on the border with Tyrol. He and his companions did not take any special precautions. “If you know it’s bear country, then yes. But I’m not going to pack bear spray because of a bear.”
Animals mostly shy
However, some still felt a certain uneasiness. Many are aware of the bear attack in Trentino, Italy, where a female bear killed a jogger in early April. “We were on our way to a cave, and we were already wondering if that’s such a good idea,” said one hiker. Another said: “We asked in our inn whether you can go hiking here without hesitation given the situation, especially with children.” But they were assured that it was “no problem at all, the bear is definitely gone.”
It is also known: According to previous knowledge, the bear roaming around in Bavaria behaves shyly towards people. Largely unconcerned, many day trippers explored the Upper Bavarian landscape at the weekend. The day guests “more or less don’t care,” said Braun. “There may even be a few onlookers who say, now let’s see where the bear is tapping.”
The worries are sometimes greater for long-term holidaymakers who want to go on a hiking holiday in the inn. “We’ve already had a few callers who asked: What’s the situation? Is it dangerous? Can we hike?” Braun said. “It remains to be seen whether this will also have a negative impact on tourism.”
