A Hungarian journalist, András Földes, was attacked by a bear near Tusnádfürdő in Transylvania while he was attending the Bálványos Summer University and Student Camp. He later described the incident himself, saying the animal closed in on him during an evening run after a long day of interviews at the festival.
Dangerous encounter near Tusványos
According to HVG journalist’s account, he had spent the day speaking with leading Fidesz figures, including Zsolt Semjén, Balázs Orbán and János Bóka, before heading out for a short run to unwind. He turned back after remembering that a bear had already dashed across the road earlier that day.
How the attack unfolded
Földes said he took a path bordered by thick bushes, just around 100 metres from the outer houses of the village, when he heard heavy movement in the undergrowth. A large brown bear then emerged and began moving alongside him before lunging forward with a snorting sound.
He reacted by shouting, turning to face the animal and stepping towards it, which caused the bear to hesitate. The animal then appeared directly behind him on the path, stood up so that its head was level with his, and opened its mouth as if preparing to bite.
The throw that saved him
At that moment, Földes threw his phone at the bear with full force while continuing to shout. The bear recoiled, giving him just enough time to escape, and he ran towards the village. He later found the phone again in the middle of the path, apparently undamaged. The journalist said the device had been his only immediate weapon, and the sudden strike was enough to deter the animal.
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Help from locals
As he fled, a barking Komondor and then a group of young people at a house party near the edge of the village helped him. The locals then accompanied him back to the path in search of the phone, armed with sticks and making a lot of noise to keep the bear away.
They told him that dense bushy areas near settlements are especially dangerous because bears like to stay there rather than in open forest. After the phone was recovered, the locals offered him pálinka, which he accepted despite usually not drinking.
It’s good to remember that bear encounters in the area can happen very close to inhabited places, not just deep in the woods. This also shows how quickly a routine evening run can turn into a life-threatening situation in a place frequented by these large animals.
