The animals are about a year and a half old and show no fear of people, which means they could pose a danger, the Environmental Board said.

Tanel Türna, head of the hunting and aquatic wildlife department at the Environmental Board, said the young bears' behavior has been extremely unusual.

"Yesterday the bears were in people's yards in Võõbu village in Järva County and did not even fear a rescue truck's siren. Unfortunately, it cannot be ruled out that people themselves caused this behavior — bears of this age should have learned to avoid humans, not look for food in settlements. Based on what we know, it seems people have fed them and disrupted their natural behavior. All usual deterrent methods have been tried repeatedly, but the animals have consistently returned to settlements, which shows a developed behavior pattern," Türna said.

Three bears have actually been seen in the area, but one has not returned to settlements as often.

Türna said nuisance‑bear permits are not issued lightly and are a last resort.

"We have spoken with zoos and wildlife parks — they cannot take the bears into their collections. The Environmental Board understands and appreciates people's desire to help wild animals in trouble. Still, we ask people not to seek contact with wild animals and certainly not to feed them. Otherwise, they may lose their fear of humans and their ability to survive independently — which is exactly what has happened now, and bears that keep returning to settlements may pose a danger to pets and people," Türna said.

The Climate Ministry changed hunting rules in April so bears may only be hunted with a special permit from the Environmental Board. The permit‑based approach allows more flexible solutions to ongoing predator conflicts by directing hunting to areas with damage and at biologically suitable times, the Environmental Board said.

There is no longer a bear hunting season with fixed start and end dates. The Environmental Board may issue permits year‑round if the decision is thoroughly considered. A permit may be issued only to prevent repeated bear damage and dangerous situations. Including Thursday's permits, the Environmental Board has issued six bear‑hunting permits this year.

The brown bear population has been growing since 2013 and is currently estimated at about 1,100 in Estonia.

Bears are increasingly seen in settlements and nearby areas, often drawn by easily accessible food.

"People must be careful and prevent easy access to food that attracts bears. They must not be fed. We ask that leftover garden produce be stored in closed compost bins or sealed compost containers," the Environmental Board said.

Hunters' Society estimates 1,500 bears in Estonia.

"Right now the situation is such that traditional bear hunting can practically no longer be carried out," said Estonian Hunters' Society adviser Marko Vinni. "Naturally this increases the bear population every year, the number of bears grows and at some point it may exceed society's tolerance."

According to the Environmental Agency, 300 bear cubs are born in Estonia each year, and even accounting for natural mortality, as many as 200 bears may be added to the wild annually, Vinni said. Hunters estimate that 1,500 bears currently live in Estonia. "I think that is not an exaggeration."

Vinni said that because the first special permits for bear hunting were issued only two weeks ago, no bears have been hunted yet in Estonia this year. "I think that of the [traditional] 150 bears, we will not hunt even ten by the end of the year."

Vinni noted that bear meat is a delicacy and restaurants would very much like to have it. "In that sense it has a very practical use, just like other game species."

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