A rampaging brown bear that terrorized a Slovak town and attacked five people was killed by gunfire in a local forest after a ten-day pursuit using a drone. Following the bear's elimination, the state of emergency in the town, which had been imposed on March 17, was lifted. According to Environment Minister Tomas Taraba, a drone was used in the ten-day search operation that ultimately led to identifying the bear.
The bear had injured five people after it ran through the streets of the small town. Local police had been combing the surrounding forest and residential area for the animal, which had entered the town two weeks prior from the Western Tatra Mountains. A 49-year-old woman suffered a shoulder injury, and a 72-year-old man was treated for a head wound after the attacks. Authorities also stated that a 10-year-old girl sustained scratches and bruises due to the assaults.
Video footage circulated online showed the bear roaming the public streets and jumping in front of cars, while residents could be seen fleeing from it. The town urged residents not to leave their homes, especially during early and late hours, while six patrol groups consisting of armed hunters, police officers, and wildlife experts scoured the area in search of the bear.
On March 19, a sign was posted warning residents that they "would be endangering their lives" if they left their homes during the chase. The sign read: "The road is temporarily closed, and due to bear hunting, there is a significant danger to life. In the event of disobedience, people will be at great risk of endangering their lives."
Bears are widespread in many parts of Eastern Europe, including areas surrounding the Carpathian Mountains, which extend from Romania to Poland and pass through Slovakia. Researchers estimate that around 3,000 bears live in Sweden, 2,000 in Finland, 1,100 in Estonia, and about 100 in Norway, with the largest population of brown bears in Europe located in Russia.
