Tension prevails in Doliani, Zagori, after a bear attacked an elderly resident of the village — right in the courtyard of his home. The incident followed a long period during which the bear, according to testimonies, had been roaming through the village, forcing locals to walk around using megaphones to scare it off.

“We cannot walk through the cobbled streets of our village. The bear was afraid of nothing,” the village president told Epiruspost.

No one, however, could have imagined it would enter the courtyard of a house with the lights on. The people’s shouts did not scare it, and in an instant the elderly man was struck by the wild animal, which hurled him into a three-meter-deep ditch.

Residents are deeply unsettled, and those who spend the winter in Athens or Ioannina are rushing back.

At this time of year, bears are after grapes and walnuts. With food supplies dwindling, they are now venturing even into courtyards in search of it.

“All villages face similar problems. As the population shrinks, wild animals make their way into settlements. The number of bears is increasing year after year,” said Zagori Mayor Giorgos Soukouvelos.

The Municipality and the Doliani Community have already informed the Protected Areas Management Unit (formerly the Northern Pindos Agency), while other environmental organizations have also been notified — both about this incident and the broader problems caused by bears.