Slovenia reports 2nd bear attack amid debate over culling

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia – A hunter in Slovenia has been slightly injured when a bear attacked him in a forest in the Alpine nation’s southwest region.

Tuesday’s attack is the second this year in Slovenia, where a heated debate is going on over a government order to cull dozens of bears and wolves amid warnings they have exceeded the numbers suitable for the nation of 2 million.

Police say the 67-year-old hunter was resting under a tree when the female bear with a cub approached, scratching him on the leg, head and elsewhere. The hunter then yelled and chased the bear away.

Slovenia’s Forest Service says the bear should not be considered aggressive, as it was with a cub in a forested area. The man was not hospitalized.