The board said the bears had lost their species‑typical behavior, damaging yards and entering outbuildings, and attempts to return them to the wild proved impossible.

While in the past there was a bear culling season in the fall, brown bears can now only be culled via a special license, for instance issued if they are judged to be a nuisance. In this case the state Environmental Board said the bear cubs were treated as animals in a helpless state were no longer capable of surviving independently in the wild, in the understanding of the Animal Protection Act.

Tanel Türna, head of the Environmental Board's hunting and aquatic wildlife department, said so far as is known the young bears first came to a settlement in early June in Kõnnu village, Kastre municipality, and at the time they numbered four.

"The loss of their fear of humans was probably caused by people themselves feeding wild animals. Hopefully, two of them have since returned to a normal life as bears.," Türna said, noting these had not been seen again. "Unfortunately, the two bears fitted with ear tags and GPS tracking devices did not" return to to normal lives, he went on.

At the same time, the bears in question in any case also damaged beehives near a residential home and repeatedly entered outbuildings, and attempts to return them to the wild by the home owner themselves did not work out.

Türna said their had been multiple such incidents, which indicated an "unnatural" pattern of behavior had developed with the bears, mostly relating to a lack of fear of humans, resulting from members of the public feeding them.

"As a result, a difficult decision had to be made last Sunday and, as a last resort, the bears were killed," Türna said, noting zoos and wildlife parks had been contacted but none had spare capacity to house the cubs.

Bear cubs need to keep a healthy fear of humans and be capable of independently foraging for food in the wild, rather than continually returning to human settlements, he added.

"We ask people not to seek contact with wild animals and under no circumstances to feed them. It must be kept in mind that bears that are currently young and still relatively small will be large by next year and, if they seek proximity to people, could pose a very serious danger," Türna stressed.

There are an estimated 1,100 Eurasian brown bears in Estonia at present.

What to do if you encounter a bear in the wild

In most encounters, bears are not looking for a fight — they want to move away from a perceived threat. What looks like a charge is often a bluff, intended to warn rather than attack.

A brown bear will often rear up on its hind legs and growl before a potential attack. If you spot one, back away slowly, speak calmly, avoid eye contact, and never run. If attacked, lie flat on the ground, protect your head and neck, and play dead.

Prevention is the best protection. Make noise while walking in the forest — talk, clap, or step on dry branches so bears can avoid you. Don't walk alone in known bear habitats, stay clear of cubs, and never approach animal carcasses, which bears may defend. If a bear enters your yard, scare it off with loud noises rather than stopping to take photos.

Bears are most active at dusk and at night, but they can also be seen during summer berry season and in autumn near oat fields.

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