A brown bear attacked and injured a man in Slovakia on Saturday, according to the Ministry of the Environment.
The bear, accompanied by two cubs, attacked the 49-year-old man on a company site in Sucany, near the city of Zilina. The victim sustained multiple injuries and was hospitalised.
Official data indicates there are approximately 1,200 brown bears in Slovakia. Generally, they avoid humans, but they may attack if a surprise encounter occurs or if a mother feels her cubs are threatened.
These animals, which can weigh several hundred kilograms, are protected year-round in the country. They may be killed in exceptional cases if they pose a danger to humans.
However, under pressure from hunters and local officials, the Slovak government decided last year that around a hundred problematic brown bears could be culled. This decision remains politically controversial.
