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Slovakia Expands Bear Cull in Wake of Fatal Attack
A state of emergency allowing for the culling of brown bears has been extended across a significant portion of Slovakia following a recent fatal incident in a forest. This decision comes on the heels of a man’s tragic death, prompting a response from the Slovak government to address growing public safety concerns.
The cabinet led by Prime Minister Robert Fico has sanctioned a plan to eliminate approximately 350 bears from an estimated population of 1,300. This measure arises from heightened anxiety over human encounters with these animals, particularly after several attacks were reported. Fico expressed to the media, “We can’t live in a country where people are afraid to go into the woods.”
The emergency measures now extend to 55 of Slovakia’s 79 districts, effectively covering most of the nation. The administration in Bratislava had previously relaxed legal safeguards, enabling authorities to terminate bears that venture too close to populated areas. Reports indicate that by the end of 2024, a total of 93 bears had already been shot under these revised regulations.
Conservationists have strongly criticized the culling initiative, arguing it contravenes international wildlife protection agreements and could potentially be illegal. Michal Wiezek, an ecologist and member of the European Parliament from the opposition party Progressive Slovakia, labeled the government’s actions as “absurd.” He contended that the Environment Ministry had failed to curb bear attacks and accused the government of using the cull to cover up its shortcomings.
Wiezek highlighted that while encounters with bears are not uncommon, the majority occur without incident, and he called for intervention from the European Commission to review the situation.
On Wednesday, Slovak police confirmed that the man found deceased in the forest near Detva had succumbed to injuries consistent with a bear attack. The 59-year-old had been reported missing after going for a walk. His remains were discovered by mountain rescue teams bearing severe head injuries, and nearby evidence suggested the presence of a bear’s den, as reported by a local non-governmental organization.
Bears have increasingly become a contentious issue in Slovakia, especially following a series of human-wildlife interactions that have led to fatalities. In March 2024, another tragic event occurred when a 31-year-old Belarusian woman died after falling into a ravine while being pursued by a bear. Moreover, several weeks later, a bear was filmed running through the streets of Liptovsky Mikulas, causing alarm as it dashed past pedestrians and cars. Authorities later claimed to have located and killed the bear, although conservationists asserted that evidence pointed to a different animal being shot.
Environment Minister Tomas Taraba stated that Slovakia’s bear population exceeds 1,300 and suggested that a reduction to about 800 bears would be more manageable. Nevertheless, experts maintain that the population remains stable at approximately 1,270 individuals. Bears are prevalent throughout the Carpathian mountain range, which spans from Romania through western Ukraine to Slovakia and Poland.
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