In 2024, Sweden controversially issued licences to kill 20 per cent of its brown bear population in an annual hunt. Now it wants to go further.

During hibernation, brown bears spend up to six months lying almost completely still, without eating, drinking or exercising.

Sweden’s brown bears are one of the biggest conservation success stories in Europe. Once on the brink of extinction, their numbers hit historic lows of around 100 in the early 20th century. Careful ...