Slovakia shoots dead mother bear and 2 cubs after man attacked

Slovak authorities have killed a mother bear and her two cubs after the bear attacked and severely injured a man in the northern part of the country. The incident has reignited concerns about bear-human encounters in the region.

The injured man, in his 40s, was discovered near the D1 highway exit to Turany with significant wounds to his chest and head. He was transported to a hospital in Martin. Following the attack, an immediate search operation was launched to locate the brown bear responsible.

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A later inspection of the killed animal showed that the female bear had extremely worn teeth, which indicates her advanced age and possibly a reduced ability to find natural food.

Using drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras, authorities tracked down the female bear and her two cubs. Due to the perceived direct threat to the safety of residents in surrounding communities, officials made the decision to euthanize all three animals. An inspection of the deceased bear revealed extremely worn teeth, suggesting her advanced age and potential difficulty in finding natural food sources.

The bear, estimated to be around 18 years old, weighed 136 kilograms. Her cubs weighed 23 and 25 kilograms, respectively, and were also killed. This incident follows a broader government decision in the spring of 2025 to cull approximately 350 bears amid rising human-bear conflicts. However, animal protection groups worry about the impact on the protected species' populations, with estimates from 2022 suggesting between 1,012 and 1,275 bears in Slovakia.

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We estimate her age at 18 years. She had 2 cubs with her weighing 23 and 25 kilograms, they also had to be killed.