Photographer stunned as trail camera captures unexpected creature moving through forest: 'I couldn't believe what I saw at first'

A nature photographer has recounted a surprising discovery he made while checking one of his trail cameras. 

While the brown bear is listed as "least concern" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, the species was once considered to be extinct in Lithuania. 

However, the large animal has made a handful of appearances in the last several years, hinting at its return to the local ecosystem. A highly publicized sighting occurred in the Šalčininkai district in Lithuania in April. Marek Kislovskij, a wildlife enthusiast and photographer, captured a brown bear strolling through a nearby forest using a perfectly located trail camera, according to LRT.lt.

Kislovskij told the publication, "When I came to check the camera, I couldn't believe what I saw at first."

According to Kislovskij, he was not aware of any brown bear encounters in the Šalčininkai district. 

"I was really surprised to have captured such a shot and, of course, I was thrilled," he continued. "At the same time, it was a bit unsettling to realize that a bear had recently been walking around in that same area."

Trail cameras can serve as a perfect tool to monitor the well-being of nearby wildlife while remaining hands-off. As with the case of the brown bear sighting, trail cameras can also be extremely useful in the documentation of rarely seen species. 

Although Lithuania has been described as a "non-bear country," bears once enjoyed strong populations throughout several European nations, but habitat loss and overhunting contributed to their decline. The sighting of a brown bear can be a sign of a thriving ecosystem.   

Brown bears can play a crucial role in regulating prey populations, dispersing seeds, and aerating the soil. Although they can be viewed as intimidating predators, they are very wary of humans and commonly avoid interactions.

This sighting came just days after a bear cub was spotted in northwest Lithuania. Laimonas Daukša, director of the Lithuanian Hunters and Fishermen's Association, noted the importance of the sighting to Made in Vilnius.

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"A special day for Lithuanian nature, because from now on, bears living in Lithuania, which were previously considered extinct, despite their regular visits to our nature, should also appear in the Red Book," Daukša said, referring to the country's list of protected animals, plants, and mushrooms. 

"As far as I know, according to the current procedure, only leading species can be included in it, so we have the first bear cub that has opened a new page in this book," he added. 

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