Sofia, May 18, (dpa/GNA) – A brown bear killed a man in the Vitosha mountains near the Bulgarian capital Sofia, with witnesses saying he tried in vain to defend himself with a stick.
The bear, which was accompanied by a cub, attacked the man near a mountain hut, the capital directorate of the Interior Ministry said, the news agency BTA reported on Sunday.
Witnesses told the online newspaper Boulevard Bulgaria, that he had attempted to fend off the animal with a stick during the attack on Saturday.
Deadly encounters with brown bears are relatively rare in Bulgaria, unlike in neighbouring Romania to the north.
Estimates suggest there are between 300 and 500 brown bears in Bulgaria, though precise figures are not available.
The incident in the Vitosha Mountains, is also unusual because bears in Bulgaria are more commonly found in other mountain regions.
GNA