A 57-year-old man who was found dead in a forest near the village of Liptovská Lúžna on Monday, was probably the first person on record killed by a bear in Slovakia. TASR had it confirmed by the state-run forestry enterprise Slovak Forests communications department director Marina Debnárová. According to her, a coroner found bite injuries on the man's head, neck and other parts of his body. "Fresh bear traces were found at the scene. Slovak Forests have been alerting for a long time about the rising risk of encounters of humans with bears, mainly in natural areas," said Debnárová.
According to the estimates, between 1,200 and 1,600 brown bears live in Slovakia, mainly in the mountainous regions of the country. The animal's population has been steadily rising in the last two decades. Brown bears are protected by law in Slovakia. Nonetheless, incidents involving humans are relatively rare. According to the statement issued by the Environment Ministry, attacks of bear on people is rare and there were only five such encounters in 2020. These are usually caused when the animals are approached unexpectedly and surprised. The ministry plans to investigate the circumstances of the current incident. The bear's attack took place outside the marked hiking trails, in the forest outside the village, so in the natural environment of the animal, the ministry added.
Meanwhile the foresters called for the animals to be legally hunted to reduce their numbers in the region. Conservationists oppose this idea and suggest monitoring the situation and re-educating both the animals as well as the wider society. General advice is to be careful, walk in groups and to talk, so the bear can spot them soon enough to avoid any contact. Also, people should inform their relatives and friends about where they are going for a hike or picking mushrooms.
