A 31-year-old Belarusian woman has tragically lost her life in a bear encounter in northern Slovakia, as confirmed by officials.
The Slovak Mountain Rescue Service reported that the woman’s body was recovered from the dense forests of Slovakia’s Low Tatras mountains on Friday evening. She was walking with a male companion when they were attacked by the bear.
“The woman and her companion fled in different directions,” stated the man, amidst the challenging terrain of thick forests and steep ravines in the area.
Authorities revealed that the incident occurred while the pair was hiking in Demänovská Valley, and the woman’s body was found by a search dog shortly after her companion sought help. To ensure safety, the Mountain Rescue Service scared off the bear with warning shots.
The circumstances of the woman’s death remain unclear, leaving authorities to investigate whether she fell or was directly attacked by the bear.
“If the latter is true, we will promptly disclose that information,” affirmed the deputy environment minister, emphasizing transparency in the investigation process.
This tragic incident adds to a series of bear encounters in recent years, including a fatal attack in 2021, marking the first such fatality in Slovakia in a century.
In response to concerns raised by members of Slovakia’s populist nationalist government regarding EU environmental protections for predators like wolves and bears, there is a proposal in collaboration with Romania to reclassify bears on the protected species list due to their stable population numbers.
Despite discussions around reclassification, researchers maintain that Slovakia’s bear population has not surged, estimating it to be around 1,275, indicating stability rather than a population explosion.
