Bear M29 is in the Engelbergertal

On Monday morning, employees of the Engelberg Titlis ski resort and a local innkeeper were likely quite surprised when they made a remarkable discovery: in the Gerschnialp area above Engelberg in the canton of Obwalden, they spotted a brown bear.

Authorities had anticipated the visit

As soon as the reports from the innkeeper and the piste workers came in, the responsible wildlife warden made his way to the site of the sighting: “Now we have the certainty that the bear is indeed with us,” says Cyrill Kesseli, Head of the Wildlife and Hunting division at the canton of Obwalden. The authorities are not particularly surprised by the appearance of their animal guest. Kesseli: “When we received the report from our Uri colleagues that a bear was present in their area, we were prepared for the possibility that the bear might find its way to us as well.”

According to the Uri hunting authority, tracks confirmed that brown bear M29 had migrated from the Meiental valley over the Grassen pass into Engelberg.

M29: Unobtrusive and shy

The Obwalden authorities had therefore anticipated the bear's appearance. And they are not nervous about the fact that the bear has now found its way to them. This is because M29 is considered an inconspicuous, calm, and shy animal: he was first photographed in the canton of Bern in May 2017. During his stay, he did not attract much attention. The only damage report was filed in Bern in April 2017, when M29 had broken into a beehive house. Kesseli also says: "The bear has been very inconspicuous up to now." Fabian Bieri, head of the Hunting and Fishing Division in the canton of Nidwalden, says something similar: "I assume you can consider yourself lucky if you get to see the animal at all."

In 2016, an estimated three bears were living in the canton of Graubünden. One was fatally injured after being struck by a train in the Lower Engadine, one made its presence known in April in the Upper Engadine, and one migrated at the end of April via Rheinwald to Thusis.

According to the Bernese Office of Economic Affairs, this is likely a bear that subsequently moved into central Switzerland via Trun. There, it was recorded on the Hoch-Ybrig and in the canton of Uri.

Behavioral tips for bear encounters

The likelihood of encountering a bear as a hiker or walker is very low. Nevertheless: the bear is a predator. Distance must be maintained. In areas where bears are present, the following applies: stay on hiking trails, avoid dense berry bushes, make yourself known by speaking aloud, do not leave food scraps behind, and keep your dog on a leash.

If you spot a bear: remain calm and stand still, make yourself known by speaking in a natural tone, never approach the bear, withdraw slowly (never run), avoid anything the bear might perceive as a threat, and refrain from taking that “bear snapshot.”

After the sighting on Monday morning, the trail of M29 has once again gone cold — the authorities do not know his current whereabouts. "It's also possible," says Fabian Bieri from the canton of Nidwalden, "that he has already moved on and is in another canton." More on wildlife and Environment and Nature Conservation.