A bear was spotted in the mountainous outskirts of Thiersee, a village in Austria's Tyrol region, on Monday morning, prompting local authorities to issue safety warnings and advise residents to keep dogs leashed and avoid leaving food scraps outdoors.
A farmer and his son-in-law observed the animal standing on its hind legs on a steep slope roughly 300 to 350 metres away, several kilometres from the nearest settlement. Despite the confirmed sighting, hunters searching the area have so far found no hair or excrement to confirm the bear's continued presence. Mayor Rainer Fankhauser said the animal is likely just passing through if no further evidence emerges in the coming days.
No livestock attacks or dangerous encounters have been reported. The sighting comes as the wider region has seen increased bear activity, with eight confirmed presences recorded this year in the neighbouring Landeck district, prompting Tyrol authorities to issue regulations for tracking and deterring large predators.