©Cristina Glebova via Unsplash
Slovak authorities shot and killed a female bear and her two cubs after the mother bear seriously injured a man. The animals were considered an immediate danger to residents and road users in the Turany area, in the north of the country.
The 42-year-old man was found Sunday evening at the exit of the D1 highway heading toward Turany. He sustained injuries to his chest and head and was taken by ambulance to the hospital in Martin. According to authorities, the injuries indicated an attack by a brown bear.
Search for brown bears
Following the report, a specialized response team launched a search operation. Two drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras were deployed to scan the area around the highway and the surrounding municipalities. The female bear and her two cubs were located a short time later. Because the animals were near major transportation infrastructure, the authorities decided to carry out a lethal intervention. Both the mother and the two cubs were shot and killed.
The female bear weighed approximately 136 kilograms and was estimated to be eighteen years old. According to the response team, she had severely worn teeth, which may indicate her advanced age and a reduced ability to find food. The cubs weighed 23 and 25 kilograms and were believed to be about six months old.
Increasing number of encounters with humans in Slovakia
Encounters between bears and humans are becoming more common in Slovakia. In the spring of 2025, the government declared a state of emergency in 55 districts following a series of incidents. It authorized the culling of up to approximately 350 bears, a decision that drew fierce criticism from conservationists. After all, the brown bear is a strictly protected species in Slovakia. European regulations allow for exceptions when an animal poses a serious threat to public safety, but only if there is no other satisfactory solution and the species’ protected status is not compromised. A 2022 genetic study estimated the Slovak bear population at 1,012 to 1,275 animals. More recent reliable figures are not yet available. Most bears live in mountainous areas such as Polana and the Fatra-Tatra region.