Woman Killed After Accidentally Stepping on Bear
Stock photo of a wild brown bear in Poland. (Getty Images/Piotr Krzeslak)
A routine outing in a forest in southeastern Poland turned deadly when a woman encountered a brown bear in an apparent case of mistaken footing. Officials say the 58-year-old was killed near the village of Plonna while gathering deer antlers with her 27-year-old son.
According to reports, the woman may have stepped on the animal, confusing it for damp ground as it lay resting. Relatives believe the bear was startled and reacted aggressively. At the time, she was speaking by phone with her son, who had walked a short distance away. He told authorities he heard her suddenly shout “bear! bear!” before the call abruptly ended.
When he returned and found her badly injured, he immediately contacted emergency services. However, responders faced delays due to difficult terrain and poor phone reception in the area. By the time help arrived, the woman had died from severe head injuries and lacerations.
Police stated there is no evidence suggesting any cause other than a bear attack. One of the woman’s other sons told local media that she likely stepped directly on the animal, noting that a resting bear can resemble a mound of earth and that once it attacks, escape is unlikely.
Brown bears are rare in Poland, with an estimated population of around 100, primarily in the Bieszczady region. Fatal encounters are extremely uncommon, with the last reported incident occurring more than a decade ago. Forestry officials noted that bears emerging from winter hibernation often move closer to inhabited areas in search of food, making unexpected encounters like this possible for both humans and wildlife.
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