Woman dies after being chased by bear in Slovakia
A 31-year-old woman from Belarus has died after being chased by a bear in Slovakia's Low Tatras mountain range.
The woman was walking with a 29-year-old man when the couple came across the animal on Friday evening.
The pair ran in opposite directions, and the man lost sight of the woman as she was chased by the bear, Slovak Mountain Rescue Service said.
Rescuers with a dog and thermal imaging drones immediately started scouring the area after mountain rescue officials were alerted.
The woman's body was discovered by a search dog at the bottom of a steep ravine.
It is unclear how the woman died, and whether she was killed by the bear or a fall.
An investigation has been launched into the cause and circumstances of her death.
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The bear was still nearby when the body was found, and was scared off by the dog, shouts, and a warning gunshot.
The victim's male companion was found "scared but unhurt" at the top of the ravine.
The woman's body was recovered from the forest and taken to the nearby village of Lucky.
The animals are common in the country's mountains.
In 2021, a man was killed by a bear in central Slovakia. Local media reported it was the first fatal attack in more than a century.
