Slovakia warns of tipsy bears
Bratislava - Attention, travellers to Slovakia: beware of drunken bears.
Bears will eat fruit that has fallen to the ground and fermented, and while the fruit's alcohol content is low, bears can eat such large amounts that they become tipsy, Slovakian forestry expert Miroslav Saniga said.
Befuddled bears have been known to approach humans, and they will attack if they feel provoked, Slovakia's TASR news agency quoted Saniga on Monday as saying.
Slovakia's biggest risk zone is the Velka Fatra mountains, which include a national park, in the centre of the East European nation, Saniga said.
Bear populations have grown in many Central and Eastern European countries in recent years. Slovakia is believed to have 700 to 900, about twice as many as in the 1970s. (dpa)
