The Slovak government has approved the culling of 350 bears this year in response to a rising number of attacks by brown bears, whose population has grown significantly in recent years, Prime Minister Robert Fico announced.

Slovakia, home to an estimated 1,000 to 3,000 bears, serves as a key refuge for the species in its mountainous regions. Last week, a 59-year-old man was killed by a bear while walking near the central town of Detva, marking the latest incident in a series of bear attacks on humans in recent years.

“We cannot live in a country where people are afraid to go into the forest, where humans become prey for bears,” Fico stated.

The Slovak Ministry of Environment plans to follow Romania’s model, which introduced culling quotas and more than doubled the number of bears allowed to be killed last year to 481.

In 2023, Slovakia culled 144 bears, a sharp increase compared to single-digit numbers in previous years. The government reported 13 bear attacks on humans last year.