Bear crosses the Danube from Slovakia, now feared in Hungary
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On Monday, the municipality of Bajót, in Komárom-Esztergom County, approximately 40 kilometres (24.8 miles) from Budapest, issued an alert after a bear was spotted in the area, believed to have swum across the Danube from Slovakia.
Bears do not typically have a suitable habitat in Hungary’s mountainous regions, which lack large, undisturbed forest areas. However, in recent years, bear sightings have become increasingly common. This particular incident is notable as bears have mostly crossed the border into Hungary via the northern central mountains, but it now appears the Danube is no longer a barrier.
The Bajót authorities received a report of a bear sighted near a stream and in the surrounding forests of Péliföldszentkereszt district.
“We urge everyone to exercise extra caution in the forest until the situation is fully clarified,” authorities announced.
The public has been advised to avoid hiking, foraging, and other outdoor activities until further notice. Additional measures will be implemented as the situation develops.
Although no concrete evidence, such as bear tracks, was found during a search by a local professional hunter and town guide, who is also an active hunter, this does not rule out the possibility that the bear sightings were real, Economx writes.
read also – Beaver bite in Budapest: a beaver attacked a woman in the Danube
Fatal bear attack in Slovakia
Earlier in October, a fatal bear attack occurred in Liptovszentmiklós, Slovakia, where a man was killed while mushroom picking. Encounters with bears are not uncommon in Liptovský Mikuláš. In March, five individuals, including a 10-year-old girl and a 72-year-old man, were injured in separate bear incidents. Although none of the injuries required hospitalisation, the bear involved was later shot.
In April, the Slovak government proposed a legislative amendment to allow the culling of bears found within 500 metres ( of inhabited areas. Environmental groups opposed the proposal, warning that it could have a widespread impact on wildlife in the Tatras and criticised it as excessive.
Read also: Watch Mihály the bear roam in Hungary’s Bükk Mountains – VIDEO