A vacationer on a snowboarding vacation in Europe has been attacked by a bear.
The Danish skier was injured in a bear assault at a nature park in North Macedonia, in an space the place authorities say delicate winters have led to a surge within the brown bear inhabitants.
The skier was taken to a hospital within the western metropolis of Tetovo, mentioned Stojance Angelov, head of the nation’s state-run Disaster Administration Centre.
He suffered accidents to his left leg within the assault that came about within the Shar Mountain space.
Gentle winters in recent times have triggered bears to chop brief or skip hibernation, resulting in a surge of their inhabitants and elevated sightings in city areas.
A rising bear inhabitants has posed a menace to individuals in an space in western North Macedonia, the place bear break-ins are more and more frequent.
A dozen instances have been reported lasr yr of bears trying to interrupt into homes seeking meals by fearful villagers residing within the mountainous space of the Mavrovo Nationwide Park, the nation’s largest.
Some villagers have demanded that authorities take pressing measures for his or her safety.
The top of the nationwide Crises Administration Heart, Stojance Angelov, mentioned that within the final 5 years the inhabitants of brown bears within the nationwide park has doubled.
“There are between 160 and 180 brown bears in Mavrovo Nationwide Park,” Angelov mentioned. “Specialists point out that there needs to be as much as 70 bears on this area, and their quantity now has doubled.”
Angelov mentioned that in response to the residents of the village of Zirovnica, there are about 30 bears that feed within the space and infrequently enter the village. They pose a hazard to the lives and well being of the villagers, particularly as a result of there are a lot of youngsters, he mentioned.
Related issues have additionally been reported in neighbouring Greece, the place farming associations say crops and bee hives have been broken.
And final yr an endangered brown bear was killed close to an Italian nationwide park sparking outrage in Italy.
The marsican brown bear was shot on the outskirts of the city of San Benedetto dei Marsi within the mountainous Abruzzo area.
The park described the slain animal – nicknamed “Amarena” after the black cherries she beloved consuming – as one among its most prolific brown bears.
Amarena’s loss of life sparked outrage from native politicians and animal rights advocates, as park rangers tried to find her cubs amid fears for his or her survival.
Native police recognized and questioned the suspected shooter, who mentioned he acted out of concern when he shot Amarena after discovering the mom bear on his property.