Bratislava, (dpa/GNA) – A 31-year-old jogger has been attacked and injured by a brown bear, in a recreational area near a town in Slovakia.
Slovak police posted on Facebook on Thursday, that the incident occurred near an observatory on the popular Urpin hill, above the regional capital Banská Bystrica.
The man sustained injuries, mainly to his chest, but was able to flee to a nearby train station and alert emergency services himself.
He was treated in hospital and is no longer in a life-threatening condition. The police urged the public to exercise caution and launched a search for the animal, involving several patrols.
As is customary in encounters with bears, Slovakia’s Brown Bear Task Force, which is part of the state nature conservation agency, was tasked with investigating the incident.
According to the latest official census, published in 2022, there are around 1,200 wild bears in Slovakia.
The animals usually avoid humans if they spot them in good time. However, in the event of a surprise encounter or if mother bears perceive their cubs to be in danger, they may attack.
A few such encounters have caused deaths in recent years.
Gna