As Slovenian media reports, on Wednesday a Man attacked by a bear. The walker (57) was walking with a second person and his dog at around 7.30 a.m. near Vrh nad Želimljami in the municipality of Škofljica, about 20 kilometers south of Ljubljana, when a brown bear attacked him. He injured the 57-year-old by biting his leg, then let go of his victim and disappeared into the forest. According to media reports, the walker is not in mortal danger.
Authorities suspect that this is the same bear that was hit by a car on the street last week and ran away injured, not far from what is now the “crime scene”. According to community representatives, there is currently no proof of this. As the mayor of Škofljica, Primož Cimerman, confirmed to TV channel N1, this is the third encounter with a bear in the municipality: “Everyone was on footpaths or streets. We have now taken steps to ensure the safety of citizens. I call on all residents and guests to be particularly attentive and cautious in nature.”
Protected predator
However, Cimerman did not specify what the measures taken to protect the population would look like. Hunters have been informed, but they do not want to pursue the bear: “Protected predators, which also include the bear, are the responsibility of the Ministry of the Environment. We have pointed out this problem several times. We are not allowed to hunt,” said the President of the local hunting association, Mitja Spindler.
Killed 230 bears
Not least because of the recent incidents, the Slovenian Environment Minister Uroš Brežan passed a decree last week that allows the removal of 230 brown bears. The decision has been the subject of controversy ever since, as critics believe it contravenes European law. Slovenia’s Prime Minister Robert Golob first asked his minister to “freeze” the decree for this year. After a conversation between the two, however, the decree remained in force.
According to current estimates, 1100 bears now live in Slovenia. In the medium term, according to the plans of those responsible, the number should be reduced to 800 animals. The president of the Slovenian Hunters’ Association, Lado Bradač, told the news portal “24ur.com”that the bear population has long since exceeded its food capacity: “The bear is so active today that it also interferes with the life of the lynx. Within two or three days it finds the prey that the lynx has caught, and the lynx has to go again to hunt.” As a rule, the lynx feeds on a prey for up to seven days.