Austin expressed his regret that there is no bear population in Europe. I was surprised, and insisted there must be bears in Europe ... a google search ensued, and I found this post from 2005:
The Great Bear Comeback
Here's an excerpt of Austin's favourite section from the article:
"The animals here have become especially fond of rapeseed oil, which is used in chain saws and large machinery." Rauer recently dealt with a case involving a steam roller that a bear had dismantled to reach the oil in the hydraulic system -- the most costly damage he has ever seen, says the biologist.
Austin was incensed, however, to note that bears were regularly described as "predators" in the article. He urged that the bear's primary diet is berries, roots and grubs, and fish when fish are running. In Austin's opinion, a bear is only a threat to a human if the human is being stupid.
Austin was pleased to hear that biologists are trying to resettle brown bears into the Alps. He hopes that the efforts will finally be accepted by the general population, and appropriate signage will go up on popular hiking trails, so that hikers and tourists will be educated and informed of bear safety, so they can co-exist.
