A bear that escaped over the weekend has left Vilnius

A bear that arrived in Vilnius at the weekend was spotted on Monday evening in the village of Purnuškių outside the capital and continues to move northwards, the LSMU Wildlife Care Centre has reported.

As the institution announced on its Facebook account, specialists with drones continue to trace the direction of the bear's movement, with the Lithuanian Hunters and Fishermen Society contributing to the operation. 

Pilots from the Vilnius City Municipality's Unmanned Aircraft Operations Centre are also helping to monitor the bear.

On the weekend, the bear was first recorded roaming near Vilnius, in Avižieniai, and later in the city itself, in Ukmergės Street. On Sunday, the bear was reported to have left Vilnius, but was later spotted in Rieste. 

As a result of this incident, the Mayor of Vilnius District, Robertas Duchnevičius, has appealed to the Ministry of the Environment to establish a mechanism for how the relevant authorities and municipalities should react in similar cases. 

The authorities themselves have admitted that they did not adequately communicate the actions taken to ensure the safety of the public and the animal. 

According to Valdas Benkunskas, Mayor of Vilnius, it was decided to use thermal imaging drones, video surveillance cameras operated by the municipal company JUDU, and to select available drones suitable for the search for the animal in order to control the situation.