Seriously injured

Forest worker in Slovakia saw a bear and fell down a slope

In Slovakia, a forest worker (35) encountered a brown bear and fell down a slope. The man suffered broken ribs and bruises. "The bear ran into the forest worker on a narrow forest path in steep terrain," said a spokeswoman for the state nature conservation NGO SOPSR.

The incident occurred on Thursday in a densely overgrown area of forest in the north of the country in the municipality of Kvacany. Social Democrat parliamentary speaker Peter Pellegrini announced a special session of parliament for Tuesday. "The state must first and foremost protect the lives and health of people and only then that of the predators," he said.

Mushroom hunters and hikers attacked
In Slovakia, there have recently been repeated clashes between humans and brown bears. Just last weekend, a mushroom hunter and a hiker were attacked and injured by bears (see video above). In mid-March, a bear strayed into the center of a small town and injured five people.

An estimated 1100 to 1200 bears live in the wild in Slovakia.