A brown bear apparently feels more and more comfortable in the Isar valley.
An animal had already walked into a photo trap at the end of April.
Not far from Lautersee, a woman claims to have seen him with her own eyes.
However, the responsible authorities have not made their story public.
Mittenwald
– The topic of bears just won't let go of the people of Mittenwald: In April, Master Petz fell into a photo trap in the Kranzberg area, in May another specimen probably massacred 15 sheep at Bärnalpl (we reported).
Now, about two weeks ago, a local claims to have seen a bear with her own eyes in broad daylight with the best bathing weather between Mittereck and Lautersee.
The woman from the Isar valley is therefore likely to be the first person in the region who has experienced this furry predator up close.
"I was just in shock." This is how the Mittenwald native, who does not want to give her name, describes her emotional state when she sees the brown bear.
The woman is on her way with her dog in the direction of Mittereck.
At a junction, her breath catches.
"There he was suddenly." The bear, about 35 meters away, perceives the hiker at the edge of the footpath.
"My dog immediately ran to the spot and barked loudly," she continues, admitting: "I didn't know at all how to behave."
The woman stands petrified and sees the bear disappear into the thicket.
However, the retreat is by no means silent: “I heard a really loud cracking sound a few more times.” Looking back, she finds it difficult to say how long the noises will continue to be heard.
"I lost my sense of time at that moment." Overcoming the initial shock, she tries to calm her completely excited dog, who immediately ran away.
Then the bear spotter visits the local police.
"We can confirm that a resident contacted us in this regard," says inspection chief Hubert Hohenleitner.
"Two colleagues drove to the said place and looked around." However, they did not find any clues.
The incident was then reported to the responsible authorities, in this case the Lower Nature Conservation Authority and the State Office for the Environment (LfU) based in Augsburg.
Now at the latest, however, the people of the Isar Valley in particular are asking themselves why the alleged sighting of a brown bear is not being reported to the public.
After all, as the lady reports in detail, the animal seems to have stopped right next to a footpath and not even a kilometer from Lautersee, a popular excursion destination.
It's no secret in the district office that this predator has been around in the upper Isar valley for some time.
“We probably even have two bears here.
One in the Isar valley and one in the Graswang valley,” says district administrator Anton Speer (free voters).
But is it really just a bear roaming between Wetterstein and Karwendel?
For some time now, there has been a persistent rumor in Mittenwald that police drone footage taken at the G7 summit is said to show two animals at the same time.
"I don't know anything about it," says a spokesman for the police headquarters in Upper Bavaria South.
The District Attorney agrees.
In general, however, the LfU is responsible for communication on the subject of large carnivores.
"We take every tip seriously and follow it up," said a spokesman for the agency.
The authority is also aware of the alleged sighting of a brown bear in the Garmisch-Partenkirchen district on July 18.
However, indications of the presence of a large carnivore would only be published if they were verified indications or confirmations.
Such reports as that of the woman from Mittenwald are divided into three stages: Case C1 is present if there is genetic evidence or a clear photograph of the animal.
Level C2 is when an expert has been able to confirm a crack or marks.
In the case of observations, one speaks in technical jargon of unconfirmed indications of category C3.
The latter applies to the Mittenwalderin's report: "After the report, the site of the sighting was searched for traces together with an expert," explains the spokesman.
Such were not found.
When asked how people should behave when they encounter a bear, the LfU refers to the recommendations on its own website (www.lfu.bayern.de/natur/wildtiermanagement).
First of all, it is important to remain calm.
Instead of approaching the animal, retreat slowly while keeping an eye on the animal.
The woman from Mittenwald also has the bear in mind: "Thank God he was gone quickly." And as long as it stays that way, everything is fine: "The animals are allowed to stay in nature." On July 18th she will be like that quickly but not forgotten.
"I've been there twice since then," she says.
"But I don't want to go for a walk alone up there in the evening."
Tobias Schwaninger
