Man killed by mother bear with her cub in rare attack in Bulgaria
A bear mauled to death a man at Vitosha, a mountainous region just outside the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, authorities said.
Updated on: May 19, 2026 / 6:50 AM EDT / CBS/AFP
The 35-year-old man's body was found in the area of Vitosha Nature Park on Saturday, and a forensic doctor and a big game expert determined he was killed by a bear, Bulgaria's interior ministry said in a statement .
"The findings of the medical examiner and a wildlife expert show that marks found on the body are those of a female bear accompanied by her cub," a Sofia police spokesperson told AFP.
His body was located Saturday afternoon near a road connecting two chalets in the northwestern part of the mountainous area around half an hour by road out of Sofia. Authorities said police would patrol the area, camera traps will be placed and a drone will fly over the perimeter.
Vitosha is a popular hiking destination for residents of the Sofia, being home to a range of wild animals, including deer, roe deer, wild boars and wolves. The area is believed to be home to around 18-20 bears.