Videos Capture the Effective Use of Bear Deterrents
The effectiveness of specific deterrent measures used to reverse the problematic behavior of habituated bears approaching settlements is demonstrated in two videos from camera traps installed as part of the European LIFE ARCPROM project in the National Parks of Northern Pindos and the Rhodope Mountains.
In the first video, we observe the effective operation of the Critter Gitter deterrent mechanism, which was installed by the staff of the Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency (NECCA) and the Management Unit of the Northern Pindos National Park, a project partner, in a building in the village of Tsepelovo, Zagori, following repeated bear appearances in the village, where the animal was feeding on fruit trees. After installing special cameras/traps, the staff of the NP Northern Pindos Management Unit of NECCA placed the Critter Gitter mechanism in a strategic location. On the night of August 31, 2025, the bear, in search of food, approached the site again, where the device was activated, startled it, and forced it to run away. According to the staff of the Northern Pindos National Park Management Unit, the bear has not returned to the site since then.
Watch the video from Tsepelovo, Zagori:
A similarly effective operation of the Critter Gitter deterrent mechanism was recorded by a camera trap in Skaloti, Drama, which was installed by the staff of NECCA and the Management Unit of the Rhodope Mountains National Park, one of the three Greek National Parks designated as reference areas for the European LIFE ARCPROM project. In this case, another bear approached a residential area, even entering house yards in search of fruit-bearing trees. To reverse the problematic behavior of this particular animal, the Bear Emergency Team (BET) of the Rhodope Mountains National Park of NECCA, in collaboration with members of the BET of the environmental NGO “Callisto” (the project’s coordinating partner), the Forest Service of Drama, and the local Municipality, installed cameras, five Critter Gitter devices, and four Fox Lights to scare it away. In the video recorded on March 9, 2025, we see the bear approaching the area of Skaloti, Drama, when the deterrent device was activated, forcing the bear into a hasty retreat.
Watch the video from Skaloti, Drama:
The installation of special deterrent measures, aiming to reverse the problematic behavior of habituated bears, has proven to be an important tool in preventing conflicts between human activities and bears in all four project areas. By using specific deterrent measures and devices specially designed for bears—such as mechanisms producing deterrent sounds or strong lights (Critter Gitter), special food baits with pepper spray, or special horns/sirens with ultrasounds (Falcon Super-sound Signal Horn)—the problematic behavior of habituated bears can be reversed. The goal is to help them regain their natural fear of humans and human activities, preventing them from approaching inhabited areas in search of food.