A bear in Poland's Carpathian Mountains mauled an eco-activist who was trying to prove the animal's den was abandoned due to logging.
The man, of German nationality, was airlifted to hospital following the attack and was said to be in a serious but stable condition, as reported by The Telegraph.
Bear Emerged Out of the Den, Chased Down Activist
The activist had travelled to the bear's den along with another activist from the Wild Carpathians Initiative to check if the area had been affected by logging. The pair had expected the lair to be empty but the animal pursued them through the woods. The activist stumbled and fell before being mauled.
Footage of the bear emerging to attack was captured by a camera set up to monitor the lair. It was shared online by Michał Gzowski, a spokesman for the Polish forestry service, who described the incident as an "irony of fate."
"Pseudo-ecologists were attacking foresters, mountain rescue and policemen, and now these people are saving their lives," he said.
Wild Carpathians Initiative Releases Statement, Admits Activists Disturbed Bear as it Was Preparing for Hibernation
The Wild Carpathians Initiative admitted their activists shouldn't have disturbed the mammal, which was getting ready for hibernation in the Bieszczady Mountains, which form part of the Outer Eastern Carpathians.
The spokesman said there had been an attack on a forester in the same location last year. Despite that, the forestry service failed to prevent further deforestation there, Jakub Rok said.
The Wild Carpathians Initiative is described as a community that protects the wildlife of the Carpathians, which is home to brown bears, wolves and Eurasian lynxes.
