On a hiking trail

80-kilo brown bear attacks family with children

Symbolic image

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/Copyright 2008 Wolfgang Kruck, stock.adobe)

Big shock: a brown bear has attacked a family with two children during an idyllic hike in the Slovakian region of Liptov.

According to official counts, there are around 1200 bears living in the wild in Slovakia. They normally avoid people if they notice them in time. However, attacks can occur in the event of surprise encounters or when mother animals see their young in danger.

This is exactly what happened to parents and children on a forest hiking trail in the municipality of Partizanska Lupca: they startled a bear weighing around 80 kilograms. It initially attacked the children directly, but let go of them when the father and mother protected them with their own bodies. Although the woman suffered minor injuries, the children were both unharmed.

This is where the attack happened:

Mayor speaks of "small miracle"
 Mayor Ladislav Balazec announced on Facebook that it was a "small miracle" that nothing more happened. The following day, he inspected the scene of the incident together with the state nature conservation team and discovered a bear den just a few meters away. The area is now being monitored with a so-called photo trap and regular patrols. The mayor called on the public to avoid the danger zone.

Shooting "problem bears" is controversial
In principle, bears are protected all year round in Slovakia and may only be shot in exceptional cases if they pose a threat to humans. However, under pressure from hunters and local politicians, the government in Bratislava decided last year to allow up to one hundred so-called "problem bears" to be shot. However, this decision is highly controversial politically.