A bear attacked a man picking mushrooms in Slovakia. A 63-year-old man died, the police announced on Saturday. The incident took place in the forest near Liptovský Mikułaš.
A 63-year-old man died as a result of a bear attack, the Slovak police reported on Saturday. He was attacked by an animal while picking mushrooms with another person in the forest near Liptovský Mikułaš.
Bear attack in Slovakia
An air ambulance helicopter arrived at the scene of the attack, but the man's life could not be saved. According to Slovak media, this is the second direct fatal attack by a bear in the history of Slovakia. The previous one took place in 2021 in the same part of the country. Local hunters' associations participating in the hunt for the bear that caused fatal injuries to a man appealed to residents not to enter the forest. Brown bears have repeatedly attacked people in various regions of Slovakia. In March, in the Demänovská Valley in the Low Tatras, close to the current attack, a Belarusian woman, who was running away from a bear, died and was fatally injured when she fell from a great height.
How to behave when encountering a bear?
When we encounter a bear in the forest, it is better to be very careful. Here are the rules to remember:
- Walk away quietly and calmly. Don't run away so that the bear doesn't treat you like prey. Don't climb a tree either, as the bear does it much better.
- If you come across a cub, back away especially carefully. There may be a female nearby that can be very dangerous in defending them.
- Do not feed bears or leave food scraps or packaging that may interest them. Bears are particularly dangerous when feeding.
- Don't approach them to take a photo or record a video. The flash of a flash or a flashlight may irritate them.
- If you come face to face with a bear, gently unfasten the hip belt of your backpack so that you can take it off – this may attract the attention of the predator. However, do not make sudden movements and control his behavior. Don't look him in the eye.
- It is especially dangerous when a bear is watching you and has its ears pushed back. Then be especially careful, do not make sudden movements, retreat very slowly.
- If the bear does not lose interest in you, lie down gently on the ground, tuck your legs in, and cover your neck and face with your hands. In most cases he will leave you alone, in the worst case he should scratch you at most.
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