In recent years, brown bears have been appearing more frequently in several parts of Slovakia, both near villages and in the open countryside. The brown bear is a natural part of our ecosystems and in most cases it avoids people.
However, if it associates the presence of people with easily accessible food – unsecured waste, food scraps or fruit in gardens – it may gradually lose its natural wariness and begin to seek out the proximity of human settlements.
At the same time, the increasing number of people venturing outdoors raises the likelihood of chance encounters. It is therefore important to behave cautiously in bear country and to follow the basic rules for moving safely in the outdoors.