Estonian expert: large wild animals do not seek to attack humans

Peep Männil, a wildlife researcher at the Estonian Environment Agency who specializes in wolf studies, has described how large wild animal populations are monitored in the country. Drones, camera traps, tracking of activity signs and direct observations are all used, but Männil noted that exact counts are largely impossible since most of these animals are mainly active at night.

Seals are the exception

According to Männil, grey seals are the only large animals that can be counted individually, since they gather in large groups on ice or along the coast during spring and summer to molt, allowing drones to capture accurate counts.

Wolves, lynx, bears and jackals

Populations of land predators — wolves, lynx, bears and jackals — are estimated using signs of activity, tracking of specific groups such as females with young, and random sightings. Hunters also contribute by gathering initial data, which the Environment Agency later processes. In some protected areas, no monitoring is carried out at all. For wolves specifically, the agency also collects its own data, since their numbers can change significantly within a year due to a high reproductive rate.

Insects pose a bigger threat than predators

Männil emphasized that Estonia's large wild animals do not hunt humans and there is little reason to fear them — insects such as horseflies, ticks and mosquitoes pose a far more real threat. Still, female bears may attack to protect their cubs, so it is advisable to slowly back away if a bear is spotted. Most incidents occur when neither the person nor the animal notices the other until they are too close. The highest risk of encountering a bear is in spring, when cubs are too small to follow their mother — a similar pattern applies to wild boar sows with piglets. Generally, however, animals hear people approaching well in advance and move away.