A brown bear, found dead at the foot of Mount Olympus yesterday, was the last of the protected species in the area, conservationists said yesterday, noting that the animal appeared to have been shot or poisoned.

The fact that the bear’s mouth was frozen open suggests it had suffered spasms and may have eaten poisoned bait, according to members of the environmental group Callisto. The animal also had chest injuries so it may have been shot.

Callisto, which has been monitoring the presence of bears, wolves and other protected animals on the Greek mainland for years, believes the bear found yesterday was the last of its kind in the area.

Last November the mutilated remains of a

bear were found in a forest in Elassona, central Greece. The bear had been shot and three of its paws, along with its lower jaw, had been removed.