Woman in Her 30s Dies in Bear Attack While Hiking in Slovakia’s Low Tatras Mountain Range

A woman in her 30s tragically lost her life after she and her companion were attacked by a bear while hiking in Slovakia’s Low Tatras mountain range.

The 31-year-old woman from Belarus was walking with a male companion when the bear confronted them, leading them to flee in different directions into the surrounding forest and ravines.

Discovery and Rescue Efforts

Following the attack, the Slovak Mountain Rescue Service discovered the woman’s body on Friday evening, with the bear still in the vicinity. The rescue team frightened off the bear with gunshots.

It remains unclear whether the woman fell to her death during the encounter or if she was killed by the bear.

Slovak authorities have pledged to disclose this information if the bear was responsible for her death.

Bear Population and Previous Incidents

Bears are common in Eastern Europe, particularly in areas surrounding the Carpathian mountains, including Slovakia, where an estimated 1,275 bears roam.

Despite their protected status, there have been several bear attacks in recent years across Eastern Europe, including a fatal incident in Slovakia in 2021 and an attack on a German eco-activist in Poland’s Bieszczady Mountains in November last year.

Environmental Policy and Bear Conservation

In response to the increasing number of bear incidents, Slovakia and Romania plan to propose at the next EU Council of environment ministers that bears should be reclassified on the protected species list due to their growing numbers.

This proposal suggests that selective culling may be necessary as the bear population is no longer considered endangered.

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