The Brown Bear Intervention Team of the Slovak State Nature Conservancy (SNC SR Intervention Team) inspected the Bieň Menagerie located near the municipality of Kováčová, in the Zvolen district, where a human-bear encounter occurred on Tuesday, 11 April, between a female bear and a member of the staff, who, acting in self-defence, has likely shot the bear.

During a regular replenishment of food and inspection of the calamity area, a staff member spotted a female bear with one cub running in his direction at a distance of about 30–40 metres. The man used a short pellet gun, which he fired into the air and, later, at the female bear. When the bear was about 5 m from the man, she turned around and ran away into the undergrowth. Based on the bear’s reaction it is assumed that it was shot and thus the Police of the Slovak Republic as well as the employees of the SNC SR – Poľana Protected Landscape Area Administration were summoned to the site.

After the inspection, the Intervention Team members confirmed the signs of the bear’s presence (tracks, droppings). However, they did not find any evidence that the bear had been wounded at the spot. They went to search the surrounding areas, but neither the mother bear nor her cub were found.

The incident took place on the grounds of the fenced Bieň Menagerie, which serves as a special-purpose facility for the students and staff members of the Faculty of Forestry of Zvolen Technical University. The menagerie, with a total area of 253.77 hectares, is part of a free hunting ground and is located in the natural habitat of large carnivores. Other beasts which can be found in the surrounding forests are wolves, lynx and bears, hence the occasional occurrence of carnivores in the game reserve is not exceptional.

Fallow deer living in the menagerie attract the lynx. Similarly, brown bear specimens have been observed in the game reserve in the past. They come into the area lured by the presence of natural forest food, such as beechnuts and acorns, as well as for the food intended for fallow deer, mouflon and wild boar.

Bears get into the reserve by climbing over the fence. The fencing is important not only to prevent game escaping from the grounds, but also against the uncontrolled intrusion of wild boar into the game preserve. Abroad, but also in Slovakia, electric protective wires are already common in game preserves, as they not only prevent the entering of game under the fence, but also protect the fence against damage by animals and, at the same time, prevent predators from entering the game reserve area.

The situation in the menagerie will continue to be monitored by the members of the SNC SR Intervention Team in cooperation with its employees. The bears are not expected to descend into the municipality in this location.

Further detailed information on how to act in the case of a bear encounter are available on the SNC SR Brown Bear Intervention Team’s website: https://zasahovytim.sopsr.sk/bezpecnost/

This press release was prepared by the Department of Communication and Promotion of the State Nature Conservancy of the Slovak Republic.