Danish tourist attacked by brown bear in North Macedonia while skiing

A Danish skier on a holiday in North Macedonia was taken to the hospital after sustaining injuries from a bear attack, the Independent reported.

The incident took place in the natural park of Sar Mountains.

The Danish tourist, whose name has not been revealed, got his left leg injured during the attack.

As per the local authorities, due to mild winters in recent years, more and more bears have cut short their hibernation period, leading to an increase in their population and surged sightings in residential areas.

According to the head of the National Crises Management Center, Stojance Angelov, in the last five years, populations of brown bears have more than doubled, posing a threat to residents in the area.

He said, “There are between 160 and 180 brown bears in Mavrovo National Park. Experts indicate that there should be up to 70 bears in this region, and their number now has doubled.”

As explained by the locals, there are approximately 30 bears that feed in the area and often enter the villages looking for food.

Last year, an endangered Marsican brown bear nicknamed “Amarena” was shot dead in the mountainous region of Abruzzo in Italy.

Amarena’s death sparked outrage among local politicians and animal rights advocates.

The suspect said he got scared after finding the mother bear at his property and acted out of fear.