57-Year-Old Man Dies Horribly In Attack By Brown Bear, Slovakia Issues Warning

Brown Bear. (Wikimedia Commons/Per Harald Olsen)

JAKARTA - The deadly attack of a bear suspected of being a brown bear has prompted the Slovak authorities to issue a population warning.

Slovak authorities have announced that a 57-year-old man died in a rare bear attack, with several grisly injuries.

The victim's body was found in a forest near the village of Liptovska Luzna, about 190 kilometers northeast of Bratislava, with deep wounds to the neck and face.

"Today's autopsy confirms that the man died from injuries caused by a bear", state forestry company Lesy Slovenske Republiky said in a statement.

Slovakia currently records between 1.200 to 1.600 brown bears on its territory, mainly in mountainous areas. This number has tripled in the last two decades.

"The brown bear is our largest animal, which holds its place in nature and is undoubtedly here in the 21st century", explains Lesy Slovenske Republiky.

Bear illustration. (Unsplash/John Thomas)

"At the same time, however, it should be noted that the abundance must be at a certain level to ensure population stability, as well as a mutual symbiosis between humans and bears".

To note, incidents involving humans are relatively rare and animals are protected by law in EU member states.

The Slovak Environment Ministry said in a statement that bear attacks on humans are "unique and extremely rare".

"There were only five such attacks in 2020. Such incidents are usually caused when an animal is approached unexpectedly and taken aback. The current circumstances of the incident will be the subject of an investigation", the ministry said.

The ministry has warned hikers and tourists to be careful in the forest. Meanwhile, Lesy Slovenske Republiky has called for the animals to be hunted legally to reduce their numbers in the region.