Slovakia: Bear runs into village square as man shields children from danger

A security camera in a Slovak village captured the moment a young bear dashed through the settlement, sending residents into a panic. The footage shows a man first running away from the animal, then spotting children nearby and rushing over to pull them out of harm's way. At one point it looked as though the bear was heading straight for the group of people, but at the last moment it swerved away and disappeared.

According to the news site noviny.sk, the bear crossed a local stream and ended up right in the small square at the centre of the village. Several people happened to be there at the time, including a Polish trader selling vegetables and flowers. "The bear passed very close to people and scratched a 79-year-old woman with its paw," the report states. The injured woman was examined by doctors at a hospital in Martin and then released for outpatient treatment.

Attack on a shepherd in the north of the country

That same Wednesday, another bear attack took place in northern Slovakia — this time the animal attacked a livestock herder and inflicted serious injuries. The incident occurred in the village of Necpaly, just seven kilometres from Blatnica, where the first encounter took place.

Why bears keep coming into villages

Conservation groups have repeatedly pointed out that bears regularly find easy sources of food in and around villages. They are urging local authorities and hunting associations to remove such food sources from areas near homes.

The main culprits are open rubbish bins, along with kitchen waste, biological refuse, livestock feed, fallen fruit, beehives and other food sources. Once a bear learns it can get an easy meal in a certain spot, it will keep coming back for more.

Source: novinky.cz