Video: In the Carpathians, a bear prevented a smuggler from crossing the border
In Zakarpattia, an attempt by a Kyiv resident to illegally cross the Ukrainian-Romanian border ended in a dangerous encounter. The man, who was traveling through mountainous terrain away from official border crossings, encountered a female bear in the forest and was forced to change his route and call law enforcement for help.
This was reported by the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
According to the agency, the resourceful Kyiv resident independently mapped out a hiking route to Romania for himself, which ran through hard-to-reach and forested mountainous terrain. Hoping that darkness would help him cross the border unnoticed, the man set out at night.
However, the “green tourism” enthusiast failed to take into account that the spring and summer months in the Carpathians are a time of heightened activity for wild animals. While passing through another section of the forest, a large female bear emerged from the thicket right in front of him. Finding himself in a critical situation and realizing he couldn’t outrun the predator on flat ground, the Kyiv resident recalled the basic rules of survival—he instantly climbed the nearest tall tree.
The bear was in no hurry to leave, trapping the fugitive in the branches. Realizing that the night’s cold and the fear of falling left him no choice, and that his trip to Romania was definitively ruined, the man took out his cell phone and dialed the border guard service’s emergency number.
“Border guards from the Mukachevo detachment arrived promptly in response to the call. By that time, the animal had already left the scene. The man was safely removed from the tree and taken to the unit. An administrative report was filed against him,” the State Border Guard Service reported.
The case materials will soon be sent to court, which will determine the amount of the fine for the offender.
Earlier, border guards discovered over 500 packs of cigarettes in the roof of a minibus.
