The decision by the Slovak government to permit the consumption of brown bear meat infuriated environmentalists, who on Wednesday denounced the action as ridiculous and encouraging poaching.
The nationalist government of Slovakia authorized the slaughter of 350 bears last month, citing the threat to human safety and the bear population’s steady rise.
The environment ministry’s state secretary, Filip Kuffa, announced on Facebook this week that the state will sell culled animals “because bear meat is edible”.
While brown bears are protected in Europe, there are several exceptions to the shooting ban, and some nations, like Slovenia, permit the consumption of bear meat.
