Fate of bear that terrorized town leaves social media divided: 'Let's use common sense'

A brown bear that terrified a small town in Slovakia was recently killed by authorities after a week-long search in the Central European country.

The town of Liptovsky Mikulas declared a state of emergency after a bear was spotted running through suburban areas on March 20. The mammal attacked five residents, including a 10-year-old girl.

Footage shows the bear running down multiple streets before jumping into a river and swimming into the distance.

On Wednesday, Liptovsky Mikulas officials announced the death of the bear, which has been identified as male.

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The bear, which officials say has been killed, was first spotted in a town in Slovakia on March 20. (Matus Stiksa via Storyful)

"According to the Minister of the Environment Tomáš Taraba, the bear, which injured five people in several places in the center and on the Quay, was eliminated by the emergency team yesterday at 21:50," the Facebook post, which was written in Slovak, read. "He added, a drone with biometrics was used to identify him."

"Several patrols [had] been searching for him continuously, day and night until elimination," the statement added.

Residents doubtful of death

But many residents of the country doubted that the original bear was killed, and believed a smaller female bear was targeted instead. Some speculated that the government lied about the incident ahead of an election on April 6.

One politician claimed that government documents say a female bear was killed instead.

"According to documents written by the bear intervention team that we found, a 67-kilogram female bear was caught and killed," Michal Wiezik, a member of the country's opposition party, was quoted as saying. "It is not necessary to use high-end biometrics to make it clear that such a shooting cannot be in any way related to the 100-kilogram male they were looking for."

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At least five residents were injured by the bear when it ran through the town of of Liptovsky Mikulas on March 20. (Reuters)

Slovaks in Facebook comments sections were divided over the killing, with many doubting their government's side of the story.

"Murderers! You murdered a bear that had just woken up from hibernation. He was hungry and looking for food," one angry social media user wrote.

Another Slovak took the situation as an opportunity to take a stab at his country's government.

"Let's use common sense, the bear was identified by a drone measuring biometrics, in a country where we can't even make roads and half of the offices cannot communicate electronically," he wrote in Slovak. "No one in their right mind can believe a fairy tale about biometrics."

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The bear swam into a river and ran away after the Mar. 20 incident, prompting residents to question whether it posed any danger. (Matus Stiksa via Storyful)

Before the killing, some residents begged officials to spare the mammal's life and did not believe he posed a threat.

Online forum

"This young bear, who accidentally entered the city, is terrified because it entered an unknown area… definitely not going back to town after this experience... no point in eliminating a young bear from its life..... let him live," one user wrote.

"The bear was apparently expelled and driven to the city, where it certainly did not change to 'wake up and attack' people," another added. "He was more afraid than everyone else."

At least one Slovak social media user supported the decision.

The five injured Slovaks were treated after being attacked by the bear. (Reuters)

"We need to further reduce the overpopulated bear population," the woman wrote. "Not all of us fit in a limited space. People are afraid to enjoy nature, forests and mountains."

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Fox News Digital reached out to the city of Liptovsky Mikulas for comment.

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