Sorry but do you really think people aren't educated about them? I was about 8 when I first saw a bear in the forest, issue is that now they come to villages and towns pretty much daily and are no longer scared of people like they used to be. Being prepared when you go on a hike is one thing, being prepared when you're just taking bins out or going to shop is another. One of my mates was chased by a bear as he was cycling back home from work, luckily he got away but unfortunately lost control as he was slowing down and ended up in the hospital with broken bones.
I can guarantee that there aren't many people that are happy it came to this. My brother in law has been the chair of local hunting club for about 8 years. As I said earlier they were only allowed to shoot one bear a year for decades and each year they recorded 3-5 bear cubs since he's been in charge.
Yes I do believe people aren't educated about them - especially the internet generation who see things on the internet and think it's funny / or reflection of reality.
Your experiences do not necessarily reflect that of societies as a whole - you're clearly more au fait and mature.
I appreciate that bears like other animals can be pests, i.e. raiding bins, or "trespassing" on your property, I've had the same issues in some of the countries where I live. You just learn to be aware about it and mindful of your surroundings. **** happens of course, and it's tragic, but I still stand by you can co-exist with a little bit of planning and proper understanding / education.
I'm not denying or belittling your lived experience, but this stuff and worse occurs daily across the world even when just "taking the bins out" or walking home from school or getting out of your car. It's nature, it's not the bear's or other animal's fault - we bring easy food for them to eat, if you had a choice to hunt or grab easy food which would you choose?
Clearly it's a more complex issue, and it's clear you bring an important perspective based on your experiences (not meant to be condescending btw!
).
As you say bears being a daily sight in villages and the fear that causes does drive home how the situation on the ground feels different and potentially more dangerous than it used to be. Clearly your local knowledge of how bear behaviours seem to have shifted should not be ignored.
However, I still feel that humans absolutely need to adapt to living alongside wildlife, and factors like how we manage food waste are often key drivers of conflict, whether it's bears in Slovakia or Canada or large canids in other parts of the world, or even crocodiles and other reptiles enjoying your pool. I still feel teaching and learning vigilance and understanding animal behaviour are vital skills regardless - I mean heck, in Australia everything's trying to kill you!
Perhaps our common ground lies in acknowledging that while the "principles" of coexistence and adaptation apply universally, the context in Slovakia right now seems particularly challenging. The combination of a recovered bear population in a relatively small country, potentially mixed with habitat pressures and habituation due to accessible food, might be creating a level of frequent, bold encounters in populated areas that requires more than just individual caution learned elsewhere - or maybe we'll just have to hold slightly different perspectives.
