Confused bear wanders through a small town in Latvia

A bear wandered through a community in Latvia and was escorted out of town by the authorities.

The animal was spotted at several locations in the town of Jēkabpils, around 140 kilometres south-east of the Latvian capital, Riga, during the day on Sunday.

It was lured into the forest after dark, Mayor Raivis Ragainis told the Latvian news agency Leta.

A road was closed and a corridor created for the bear, whose departure was monitored using drones fitted with infrared cameras.

Eyewitness videos on the internet showed the bear walking along the road through residential areas in the town, which has a population of around 20,000.

It was also seen near a petrol station, but was eventually driven off into a wooded area – without injuring anyone or causing any damage.

According to Ragainis, the operation was hampered by a lot of interest from the public, as the disoriented animal became even more confused. Some residents were reportedly willing to chase, film or photograph the bear despite the potentially dangerous situation.

The city council had previously issued a warning about the bear's appearance and announced that it would be driven out of the city using loudspeakers.

Bears have been spotted near the town in the past. Only recently, a moose had also strayed into Jēkabpils and was similarly escorted out of the town.

"Nature is what it is. We are surrounded by forests," the mayor said.