Send this page to someone via email

Over 200 sheep fell to their deaths from atop a cliff after running from a bear on the border of France and Spain, according to reports.

The sheep’s bodies were found last Sunday just over the border of Spain, the Telegraph reports.

READ MORE: Quick-thinking drivers save cyclist from possible bear attack on B.C. highway

Local authorities sent experts to the scene to investigate the incident and they concluded the sheep were fleeing a bear when they fell to their deaths.

WATCH: BC man fights off grizzly bear

1:52 BC man fights off grizzly bear BC man fights off grizzly bear

A bitter debate over the presence of the bears has resumed.

Story continues below advertisement

Brown bears became extinct in the region in the early 1990s. Several years later, they were imported to the region from Slovakia and reintroduced into the wildlife.

WATCH: Video shows people taking photos just metres away from wild black bear in Ontario Park

1:54 Video shows people taking photos just metres away from wild black bear in Ontario Park Video shows people taking photos just metres away from wild black bear in Ontario Park

Although the French farmer will receive compensation for his lost sheep, that fact has not calmed a militant farmers group (Confédération Paysanne) which is calling for immediate action to prevent further attacks.

READ MORE: Injured black bear found in garbage dump cared for by nurse in Bloodvein First Nation

“Pastoralism, which is a guarantor of biodiversity and of a living and welcoming mountain region, is not compatible with the reintroduction of large predators,” the group said in a statement.

Story continues below advertisement

Another 130 sheep died in a similar incident in the region last year, the Guardian reports.