SOFIA, Bulgaria – A night in the forest outside Bulgaria’s capital took a frightening turn this weekend when two brown bears approached and attacked a tent occupied by tourists, according to local authorities.
The incident happened overnight in a wooded area above the village of Lokorsko, in the Novi Iskar district of Sofia.
The campers had pitched their tent roughly a kilometer beyond the end of the paved road toward the Dragunata area when the animals appeared.
The bears approached the campsite and attacked the tent, according to initial reports. Authorities said the incident was reported to emergency services, while local officials subsequently warned residents and visitors to be particularly cautious in the area.
There have been no reports of serious injuries in the initial accounts of the incident, although authorities were still clarifying the circumstances.
A Growing Concern in Bulgaria and Romania
The encounter is the latest reported bear incident to draw attention to the increasingly visible presence of the animals in areas frequented by people. Earlier this year, a fatal bear attack was reported on Vitosha Mountain, just outside Sofia.
Other encounters have involved bears approaching roads, beehives and settlements in different parts of Bulgaria and neighbouring Romania, highlighting the difficult boundary between expanding human activity and the habitat of the country’s brown bears.
For residents and hikers, the latest incident is also a reminder that a tent offers little physical protection if a bear is attracted to a campsite.
Wildlife experts generally advise people in bear country to keep food and waste away from sleeping areas, avoid approaching or feeding bears, and never run if they encounter one.
Instead, people are advised to remain calm and slowly move away when possible. For now, the forest above Lokorsko remains a place where a quiet night outdoors can bring an unexpected visitor.
And in a country where brown bears still roam within relatively close reach of major population centers, the encounter is another reminder that the line between the wild and the human world can sometimes be surprisingly thin.
Sources:
- Nova News – “Two bears attacked a tent with tourists near Sofia”
- BTV News – report on the Lokorsko incident
