Slovak _ Slovak government has given the green light to a controversial plan to cull 350 brown bears after a deadly attack and a spike in close encounters between humans and bears. The move comes on the heels of a tragic incident in a central Slovakian forest, where a 59-year-old man was found dead, his injuries pointing to a bear as the culprit, according to officials.
Prime Minister Robert Fico didn’t mince words when he addressed the issue, saying the government refuses to stand by while people live in fear of stepping into the woods. To tackle the problem head-on, authorities have rolled out a state of emergency across a large swath of the country, paving the way for the cull to get underway. Environment Minister Tomas Taraba explained that the aim is to bring the bear population down to a size that’s easier to handle.
But not everyone’s on board with the plan. Conservationists have been quick to slam the decision, calling it over-the-top and warning that it might even breach international agreements. They’re pushing for a different approach think more along the lines of prevention, like better waste management or educating folks on how to steer clear of trouble with bears rather than reaching for rifles.