It's not just bears and moose like Emil. Encounters between wild animals and people are becoming more frequent across Europe

Monday, Dec 8, 2025

Wildlife increasingly enters urban areas across Europe due to expanding settlements and greener cityscapes.

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[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]

Wildlife such as deer and bears are increasingly appearing near human settlements across Europe, even in large cities, leading to public debate about our relationship with animals and the importance of wilderness. This trend is attributed by scientists to the continuous expansion of urban areas encroaching on wildlife migration routes and natural habitats, coupled with the “greening” of cities which makes urban environments less alien to animals. Furthermore, agricultural landscapes dominated by monocultures can force animals into movement in short periods. While media often focus heavily on encounters with bears, various species are now entering cities, ranging from small rabbits to large deer. Some animals, like wild boar and foxes, have adapted more readily to human presence, while others, such as bears and elk, do so only exceptionally. Experienced municipalities are responding by adapting infrastructure or implementing organizational measures like information hotlines, though newer urban areas are still awaiting similar actions.


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