In a shocking incident, a woman died after she was chased by a bear in Slovakia, as per a report in BBC. The 31-year-old from Belarus was walking with a male friend when they were set upon by the animal.
According to the officials at Slovak Mountain Rescue Service, the woman's body was recovered from the forest in Slovakia's Low Tatras mountains, which has deep ravines and dense woodland.
As per the report, both the man and the woman ran off in separate directions. The two were allegedly being chased while strolling in the Demanovska Valley, according to Slovak officials. A search dog discovered the woman's body shortly after her partner sought assistance.
When officials discovered her body, the bear was close and had to be driven away by repeated bullets fired by the Mountain Rescue Service. However, it remains unclear whether the woman was killed by the wild animal or died due to a fall.
Though brown bears are widespread throughout eastern and northeastern Europe, they are mostly found in the Carpathian Mountains, which cut through Romania, Slovakia, Poland, and Ukraine.
There are reportedly 1,275 bears in Slovakia, according to researchers. The nation has seen an increase in bear attacks, with one of the deadliest in over a century occurring in 2021.
The country's brown bear population is a contentious political issue since Slovakia's recently elected populist nationalist government wishes less environmental protection from the European Union for wolves and bears, among other predators.
Environmental organisations, including the Slovak Wildlife Society and the World Wildlife Fund, have opposed any proposals to reduce the number of brown bears in the nation.
