Baby bear killed off Egnatia highway

Yet another young bear fell victim to a traffic accident on a road leading off the Egnatia Highway over the Christmas weekend, the animal conservation group Arcturos reported on Boxing Day.

The accident occurred on Christmas Day, on the exit toward Vogatsikos between Siatista and Krystallopigi.

According to Arcturos, this is the fourth bear to be killed by oncoming traffic in 2010, after 10 such fatal accidents involving bears in 2009.

In statements to the ANA-MPA, the head of the Arcturos Environmental Centre Vasso Petridou noted that the high temperatures in the last months of 2010 had prevented bears from going into hibernation so that they were at risk from traffic while wandering in the areas around the Egnatia highway.

She also stressed that authorities had so far failed to meet pledges to set up special fencing along the Egnatia highway and the roads leading off it that would prevent the animals from entering high-speed roads.