A row between locals and wildlife agents over bears living in the Pyrenean mountains has escalated as farmers blame the wild animals for attacks on their sheep. On Saturday, dozens of farmers met in Saint-Girons to protest against the bears, handing out pamphlets and blocking access to the town. In a press release, the officials said that the animals, re-introduced to the area in 1996, should be sent back to their native Slovenia. But for the pro-bear camp, the animals are not entirely to blame for the decline in the sheep population. Yet no bears have been reintroduced to the region since 2006, with successive governments avoiding the issue.

Source: The Local August 30, 2017 08:48 UTC