A walker in the Tacen area was frightened when she spotted a female bear several days ago. The animal had emerged from a cornfield. Officials from the Slovenian Forest Service say that the bear is almost certainly the same animal that was spotted along with her cubs in the areas of Rašica, Dobeno, and Komenda.

The bear family apparently crossed the nearby highway and found itself in a relatively densely populated area close to one of Ljubljana’s most popular destinations for daytrips. Viktor Miklavčič of the Slovenian Forest Service says that his agency is currently monitoring the movement of the bear family.

He explained that the female bear and her cubs are not yet considered likely to become used to the presence of humans, which would necessitate a cull. “We’ll give her a few more opportunities to find her way out of the area,” he explained.

Ljubljana’s northern outskirts are not a natural bear habitat. The bears’ presence indicates that they are running out of food in southern Slovenia, namely in the Kočevska region. This probably spurred the bear family to cross the highway and find themselves just beneath Šmarna Gora. The female bear must now find a difficult path between two roads with heavy traffic. Residents of the area and hikers will therefore have to be on high alert for some time.

“It’s important to obey the rules for visiting forests that are familiar to our compatriots in the southern part of the country, where bears are always present,” adds Miklavčič. Dogs must be kept on their leashes at all times, walkers should make a noise in the forest, bear cubs should not be approached, and aggressive behavior should be avoided when a bear is encountered.

Marjan Vešligaj, Radio Slovenia; Translated by J. B.