In a tragic incident in Slovakia, a woman from Belarus lost her life after being pursued by a bear in dense forest and mountainous terrain.
The 31-year-old woman was out for a walk with a 29-year-old male companion from Belarus in a section of the Low Tatras mountain range on Friday evening when they came face to face with the bear. In a state of panic, they both fled in opposite directions, as reported by the Slovakian Mountain Rescue Service.
As they got separated, the bear relentlessly chased the woman until she vanished from the man's sight. Despite his efforts, he could no longer hear her, leaving him distraught and helpless.
Tragic Bear Encounter in Slovakia
Amidst the scenic beauty of Slovakia's wilderness, a harrowing incident unfolded as a woman found herself in a life-threatening situation. She was discovered unresponsive at the bottom of a deep ravine, believed to have fallen while being pursued by a bear. The bear was in close proximity to the woman's body, but thanks to a warning shot and the assistance of a service dog, rescue crews managed to drive the bear away. Fortunately, the woman's companion was found nearby, unharmed but understandably shaken by the ordeal.
Tragically, the woman did not survive the encounter. Her body was carefully retrieved and transported to the village of Lúčky, situated to the north of the Low Tatras. An investigation has been launched by the rescue service to ascertain the exact circumstances leading to her demise.
The following day, another distressing incident involving a Slovakian brown bear resulted in severe injuries to a 49-year-old woman and a 72-year-old man. These events underscore a concerning trend of bear attacks in the region in recent years. Slovakia experienced a fatal bear attack in 2021, the first of its kind in over a century, as reported by the BBC.
Sources: BBC News
In Slovakia, the Low Tatras range is situated within the expansive Carpathian mountains, which span central and eastern Europe and serve as a familiar habitat for brown bears. Approximately ten years ago, wildlife researchers approximated that the brown bear population in Slovakia alone stood at about 1,250 and was steadily increasing — resulting in Slovakian bears having the second highest concentration in Europe, following Romania.
