SOP: 201 Bears Eliminated from Bear Population Since April (2)

Banska Bystrica, 6 November (TASR) – Since April, 201 bears have been removed from Slovakia's bear population, with additional animals killed in traffic accidents or by poachers, hence the total reduction amounts to 239 bears, director of the State Nature Conservancy (SOP) Roman Fajth announced at a press conference on Thursday. In recent months, intervention teams of state conservationists eliminated 95 bears, while hunters, with exemptions granted by the Environment Ministry, shot 106 animals. “Ninety-nine per cent of the individuals were culled near towns and villages. These were animals that had repeatedly entered inhabited areas after being driven out several times,” explained Fajth. He added that almost 30 bears died due to traffic accidents or interspecies predation, several were killed by poachers, and three young bears were captured and placed in zoological gardens. According to the SOP director, the total reduction of 239 bears will not have a negative impact on Slovakia's bear population, and gene transfer will remain preserved. He recalled that state conservationists launched brown bear monitoring in August and are also conducting research to determine the population's health status, which he said is deteriorating. This year, intervention teams have received more than 2,400 reports of brown bear sightings — an increase of over 400 cases compared to last year. Professional soldiers also assisted conservation teams in the field during bear eliminations, based on a Slovak government resolution. “From April to October, they supported us during 84 operations,” said Deputy Environment Minister Filip Kuffa. The soldiers mainly provided technical support in bear monitoring and elimination, including the use of thermal drones. Kuffa evaluated the cooperation positively but noted that the ministry has taken steps to ensure that in the future, the army's personnel and resources will not need to be engaged in bear culling. “We have trained our employees and purchased the necessary equipment so that we can handle it ourselves,” added the deputy minister. Kuffa also responded to Greenpeace Poland, which filed a complaint with the European Commission against Slovakia over the allegedly illegal culling of brown bears. Greenpeace warned that bear hunts near the Polish border threaten the protected species' population on the Polish side as well. The deputy minister rejected these claims, stating that only two bears were eliminated in the Slovak-Polish border area in recent months. NOTE: This story has been extended to include paragraphs 7-10 mf