“We cannot live in a country where people are afraid to go to the woods“, Said the prime minister Robert Ficowhich is why his populist-nationalist government approved a plan to break down 350 bears (on an estimated population of 1,300 brown bears).
The triggering cause would have been the last fatal attack on a human being: the body of a 59 -year -old man would have been found in recent days in central Slovakia and seems to have been torn by a bear. Or at least so the authorities said.
From here, a special state of emergency – now – would allow to shoot at bears lying at 55 of the 79 districts of Slovakia, an area that now covers most of the country.
According to the Slovak authorities, only in 2024 were there almost 2 thousand episodes in which the bears would approach or interact in a dangerous way with human beings or with pets or private goods, both in rural areas and near the inhabited centers and along the paths frequented by hikers.
Prime Minister Fico thus stated that Slovak citizens cannot be forced to live in fear, nor to give up attending the woods for fear of meeting a bear and that must be made literally out.
The demolition is not the solution
This measure, of course, cannot help but once again raise serious questions about its effectiveness and compliance with European regulations and concerns us all. The Bruno bear is a species rigorously protected by the Habitat directive of the European Union, which allows its killing only in exceptional circumstances and after having run out all the alternatives.
Instead of resorting to drastic measures, there are proven strategies to mitigate conflicts between humans and wildlife:
Public safety is a certain necessity, but it should be balanced with the conservation of biodiversity and respect for international regulations. The massive reduction of bears is not only a disproportionate response, but also risks compromising long -term conservation efforts.
