Mindless execution 350 bears in Slovakia? The government explains why you need to shoot

Since the beginning of the year, the Slovak Ministry of the Environment has agreed to shoot 126 brown bears, the deputy head of the ministry Filip Kuffa announced on Thursday. Until the end of May, hunters shot 13 individuals, and special intervention teams of 19 bears living near human settlements.

Kuffa assured that each application for a bear's shot is carefully analyzed and there is no question of mindless execution of 350 bears (so much individuals, the Ministry of the Environment may limit their population by the end of the year). He reminded that intervention teams are entering the action when the bear problems appear in areas where hunters cannot hunt. This mainly applies to inhabited areas and their direct neighbors.

Last year, intervention teams eliminated 58 problem individuals, and hunters shot 36 bears. According to Kuffa, statistics record a clear increase in the number of attacks on people.

The Ministry of the Environment announced that the bears could not be locked, which in recent days ran under the cars in the Banska Bystrzyca poviat. The animals fled to the forest, they are probably injured and therefore more aggressive. It was also not possible to find the bear, which at the beginning of April caused the death of a 59-year-old man in the town of Invięchody in Detva poviat in central Slovakia.

Piotr Górecki (PAP)

PTG/ Kar/