The Brown Bear Intervention Team of the State Nature Conservancy of the Slovak Republic (SNC SR) killed a trouble-making brown bear this morning near the municipality of Necpaly, in the Martin district. The bear’s behaviour and frequent visits to the vicinity of the municipality put the safety of the inhabitants at risk.

The movement and the behaviour of this specimen has been monitored by the SNC SR Intervention Team West since June this year. The specimen in question was a 3-year-old female bear weighing 53 kg, which was repeatedly seen moving around the local municipal office, kindergarten, bus stop and in the gardens, where it rummaged through the fruit trees.

The data collected by the SNC SR intervention team indicated a rapidly progressing loss of shyness in the bear as well as its low sensitivity to hazing. The bear did not react to the efforts to scare it away with light and sound devices or with alarm shots. The bear’s behaviour was assessed as demonstrably dangerous and posing a threat to the health and life of local residents and visitors. The administration of the Veľká Fatra National Park has also given its consent for the elimination of the bear.

Placing the problem bear specimen in a nursery was not an option in this case, as it was a specimen accustomed to living free in the wild and its adaptation to artificially created conditions in captivity would not have been possible. The bear was euthanised by a veterinary doctor in cooperation with the Slovak Police Force.

Additional information:

Pursuant to Section 65a (5) of Act No. 543/2002 Coll. on Nature and Landscape Protection, as subsequently amended, the SNC SR is authorised to ensure the hazing, catching or killing of protected animals whose behaviour outside their natural habitat poses an immediate threat to the health or safety of the inhabitants of municipalities. The killing of a specific problem bear specimens prevents the occurrence of dangerous human-bear encounters in which there is a demonstrable risk of endangering human health and life.

Nationwide, the SNC SR Brown Bear Intervention Team cares for the population of the protected species of brown bear (Ursus arctos), which includes the elimination of specific (identified) problem specimens from the population by means of euthanasia.

For more information about the activities of the SNC SR Intervention Team, go to https://zasahovytim.sopsr.sk/.

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