The Slovak government approved on Monday the shooting of 350 bears this year after an increase in attacks by brown bears, whose population has grown significantly in recent years, Prime Minister Robert Fico said, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
Environment Minister Tomas Taraba said that bear attacks on people had reached 1,900 cases in 2023. According to official figures, the brown bear population in Slovakia exceeds 1,000 individuals.
“We cannot live in a country where people are afraid to go into the forests,“ said Prime Minister Fico.
Last week, a bear killed a 59-year-old man who was walking near the central town of Detva, Slovak media reported. It is the latest in a growing series of attacks on people in recent years.