Slovakia will allow the killing of 350 brown bears after a man was killed in a bear attack last weekend. The country has around 1,000 brown bears.
The 59-year-old man’s body was found in central Slovakia on Sunday. Authorities said he was likely attacked by a bear.
Environment Minister Tomáš Taraba said bear attacks are increasing. In 2024, there were around 1,900 reported human-bear encounters.
Prime Minister Robert Fico said people should not be afraid to walk in forests where bears live.
The government has declared a state of emergency in 55 of Slovakia’s 72 counties. This allows the environment ministry to approve the bear killings directly.
Animal protection groups say the decision breaks international rules. They believe the country should focus on prevention instead of killing bears.
In 2024, Slovakia already approved the killing of 144 bears. Romania introduced a similar plan last year.
Romania allowed the killing of 481 bears in 2024 after a woman was killed by a bear while hiking. The emergency law aimed to reduce what the government called bear overpopulation.
However, environmental groups said bear attacks were increasing because humans are moving into bear habitats, and climate change is reducing bears’ natural food.
They said killing bears was not a real solution and called for preventive measures instead, like electric fences, better waste management, and education programs to avoid human-bear conflicts.
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