Woman, 31, dies after being chased by a bear: Slovakian authorities find body in forest after she and companion were set upon

A woman in her 30s has died after she and her companion were set upon by a bear in Slovakia.  

The 31-year-old woman from Belarus had been walking with a male companion in the Low Tatras mountain range, Slovakia, when they were chased by the bear. 

According to her male companion, he and the woman fled in different directions, into the surrounding thick forest and steep ravines.  

Her body was discovered by the Slovak Mountain Rescue Service on Friday evening  with the bear still nearby who was frightened off by gun shots from the rescue team. 

According to BBC News, it’s unclear whether the woman fell to her death or was killed by the bear. The Slovak authorities have made clear that if she was killed by the bear they will make that information public. 

The Low Tatras mountain range in Slovakia. A  31-year-old woman from Belarus had been walking with a male companion in the Low Tatras mountain range, Slovakia, when they were chased by a bear. Her body was discovered by the Slovak Mountain Rescue Service on Friday evening

Bears are common across large parts of Eastern Europe in the areas surrounding the  Carpathian mountains, which stretch from Romania to Poland and pass through Slovakia. Researchers estimate there are around 1,275 bears in Slovakia. 

In recent years, there have been a number of bear attacks across Eastern Europe, including a fatal attack in Slovakia in 2021.

In November last year, German eco-activist caught on camera the moment he was attacked by a bear after accidentally wandering into the animal’s lair in the Bieszczady Mountains in Poland.

The man was viciously attacked by the bear but was later airlifted to hospital.  

Meanwhile, in 2017 a cyclist was chased by a bear while cycling through woodland in Malino Brdo, Slovakia. After apparently pursuing him for a few moments, the bear turns round and slopes back into the trees. 

The Slovakian Environment Ministry said that together with Romania it will propose at the next EU Council of environment ministers that bears should be reclassified on the protected species list because their numbers mean they aren’t endangered anymore and could be selectively culled.