More than 4,200 Slovenian citizens have signed a petition urging the government to take stronger action to manage the country’s expanding brown bear population, citing increased encounters between bears and residents in rural areas.
The petition, submitted to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning, calls for revising the current bear culling quota of 206—set for 2025–2026—to be fulfilled by the end of this year. Organizers say the rising bear numbers pose a growing safety risk.
“This petition was initiated in Rakitna, one of the areas with the highest number of human-bear conflicts this year,” said Gorazd Kovacic, the petition’s lead signatory. “In many places, bears appear almost daily and have lost their fear of humans.”
Rakitna, located about 25 kilometers south of Ljubljana, has reported frequent bear sightings, with animals often scavenging through trash bins. Similar incidents have been reported across the country.
Slovenia’s bear population is estimated at around 950, with projections suggesting it could reach 1,100 next year. According to researcher Tomaz Skrbinsek of the University of Ljubljana, some regions have bear densities exceeding 50 per 100 square kilometers—among the highest in the world.
Environmental groups oppose increased hunting, noting that no human fatalities from bear encounters have been recorded in decades. Brown bears (Ursus arctos) are a protected species in Slovenia, where forests cover roughly 60% of the national territory.