A man in Malá Fatra National Park in Slovakia attacked a female brown bear with an axe after it attacked him on Friday, March 21, 2025, according to reports from the State Nature Conservancy of Slovakia (ŠOP SR). The incident occurred near the village of Belá.
The attack and subsequent defense were captured by a wildlife camera, and the footage was shared by Filip Kuffa, State Secretary of the Ministry of the Environment, on social media. ŠOP SR stated that monitoring devices, warning signs about the potential presence of brown bears, and information boards indicating a third-level protection zone were present in the area. Movement within the protected zone is permitted only on marked trails, and dogs must be kept on leashes.
The man was reportedly walking off-trail with a dog that was not on a leash at the time of the attack, according to the environmental initiative My sme les. The organization suggested the unleashed dog may have provoked the bear’s defensive reaction. Dogs are prohibited from being off-leash within the national park.
Following the incident, the man received a fine for violating park regulations. According to Plus Jeden Deň, the fine has already been paid. Pavol Žídek, Director of the Malá Fatra National Park Administration, confirmed that the man was fined for being off the marked trail and having a dog off-leash. Žídek emphasized the importance of keeping dogs on leashes in mountainous areas, stating that unleashed dogs pose a significant threat.
The owner of the wildlife camera that recorded the incident expressed anger over the video’s dissemination without their consent. The Zásahový tím pre medveďa hnedého (Brown Bear Intervention Team) is currently investigating the incident in cooperation with the national park administration and the Slovak Police Force.
My sme les has indicated that the bear’s actions were a defensive response, suggesting the incident was not an unprovoked attack. The organization highlighted the bear was a mother.