With effect from 1 February 2025 , the Brown Bear Operations Centre of the State Nature Conservancy of the Slovak Republic, which was operated under the telephone number 18 081, will cease to operate. From this date, the reporting of brown bear specimens and related incidents is governed by new rules:
- In cases where the health or life of persons is threatened, or damage to property occurs or may occur , it is necessary to immediately call the emergency line 112. Operators will evaluate the situation and, if necessary, send a Brown Bear Intervention Team to the site.
- In other cases, such as bear sightings near inhabited areas and damage to property, it is necessary to contact the relevant Brown Bear Intervention Team directly by region. Eight intervention teams will operate in Slovakia, three under the responsibility of the State Nature Conservancy of the Slovak Republic (West, Central, East) and five under the auspices of national park administrations. The first two teams already operating are managed by the Tatra National Park and the Low Tatras National Park, the remaining three (Fatra, Muráň, Poloniny) will start their activities in the first half of 2025. Up-to-date contacts for these teams are available on the https://zasahovytim.sopsr.sk/ website and the websites of individual national parks.
The aim of this change is to streamline the reporting process and ensure faster coordination of intervention forces in the event of a threat to the population or other situations that require intervention. The Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic points out that the 112 line is intended exclusively for emergency situations. Improper use of this hotline for non-urgent cases can slow down the response in really dangerous situations.
At the same time, the State Nature Conservancy of the Slovak Republic calls on tourists and nature visitors in areas with the occurrence of brown bears to be extra careful. All the necessary information about safety and recommendations on how to behave in places with brown bears can be found on our website https://zasahovytim.sopsr.sk/bezpecnost/.
Additional information:
Misuse of the 112 line is punishable by a financial fine of up to €1,659, in the case of spreading an alarm message, there is a risk of imprisonment for 1 to 5 years. During the conversation with the operator, it is necessary to answer several questions that help the operator to respond as effectively as possible. First of all, it is necessary to state what happened, where it happened and to whom it happened. The caller should also provide their name, surname and the number from which they are calling, so that the operator can contact them again if necessary. If the caller does not know exactly where they are, the operator will be helped by locating the emergency call.
Source: https://izs.estranky.sk
The press release was prepared by the Department of Communication and Promotion of the State Nature Conservancy of the Slovak Republic
