DOI - Vydavatelství Mendelovy univerzity v Brně

Identifikátory DOI

DOI: 10.11118/978-80-7701-082-5-0106

Bears at Risk in Slovakia under Political Pressures

Dušan Janák ORCID...1,2, Michal Haring ORCID...2, Lea Kráľová2
1 Mendel University in Brno, Faculty of Regional Development and International Studies, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
2 Comenius University, Faculty of Arts, Šafárikovo námestie 6, P.O.BOX 440, 814 99 Bratislava 1, Slovak Republic

The brown bear (Ursus arctos) is the largest carnivore in Slovakia and plays a key role in natural ecosystems. Over the past five years, there has been a significant change in public discourse about brown bears in Slovakia. On the one hand, there has been a quantitative increase in media interest, and on the other hand, the topic has become politicized. Although the coexistence of humans and bears and the conflicts between them seem at first glance to be a very apolitical relationship, in reality, they have strong political connotations in contemporary Slovak society. Legislative developments and bear management after the 2023 elections took a radical turn towards widespread culling of bears without addressing individuals involved in human-bear conflicts in accordance with international standards and European legislation. Instead of a decline in conflicts, they have increased in the years of the largest culling. Political orientation is one of the strongest predictors of attitudes towards bears and their management. Attitudes towards bears and their management now divide Slovak society in a similar way to attitudes towards the ruling political establishment.

Klíčová slova: Bears, Slovakia, Politics, Public Opinion, Legislation

stránky: 106-113, online: 2026



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