France releases Slovenian bear in Pyrenees

France released a fourth bear in the Pyrenees today as part of a contested programme to repopulate the region.

The four-year-old male, nicknamed Balou and weighing 88kg, was captured in Slovenia like the others.

Pyrenean farmers have protested against the programme, fearing bear attacks on their livestock.

Brown bears disappeared from the Pyrenees in the 1980s. As too few remained to ensure their survival, authorities previously released three bears in 1996.