BEARS IN THE KRKONOŠE

The bears Michal and Alica already have a new home in the Krkonoše Mountains.

The bear cubs have arrived from the Košice Zoo in Janské Lázně, where they will live in a large forest enclosure beneath the popular Krkonoše Treetop Walk attraction.

The transport from eastern Slovakia was organized by staff from Dvůr Králové Safari Park, who reported that it went smoothly.

After the necessary acclimatization, Michal and Alica will make their first appearance to visitors during the Easter weekend—on Saturday, April 4, at the grand opening of the new Bear Trail.

A Smooth Journey from Košice to the Krkonoše Mountains

The bears were prepared for transport by keepers from the Košice Zoo. The animals were sedated before the journey and placed directly into transport crates. These were then loaded into a vehicle that transported them all the way to the Krkonoše Mountains.

“We checked on the bears regularly during the trip. But these were mostly routine checks—the animals were really well sedated. When we looked into the crates, they just lifted their heads, growled, and went back to sleep,” describe the Safari Park staff.

Special crates designed for large carnivores were used for the transport. “We most often transport lions or tigers in them. As an African zoo, we don’t keep bears, but this type of crate is the safest for transporting large carnivores,” the keepers explain.

Bears are known for their curiosity and strength during transport, so there were concerns that they might try to break out of the crates during the journey. That is why they were sedated before departure. It turned out that the measure worked perfectly—the male, Michal, came out of the crate shortly after arrival, while Alica took her time and didn’t begin exploring her new home until several hours later.

Forest Enclosure Directly Below the Trail

The bears’ new home has been created right in the forest below the Treetop Walk.

The enclosure covers an area of approximately 5,400 square meters and includes four dens.

The entire area is secured by a wooden fence and an electric fence to ensure maximum safety.

Visitors will be able to observe the bears from above, directly from the Trail’s walkways, where they will have a clear view of the entire enclosure.

Rescued cubs from the Tatras

The arrival of Michal and Alica in the Krkonoše Mountains is not just a new tourist attraction. The project was created in collaboration with Dvůr Králové Safari Park, the KRNAP Administration, and the Treetop Walk and is part of the European brown bear breeding program.

Michal and Alica are, in fact, bear orphans. Slovak conservationists discovered them in June 2023 in the High Tatras between Štrbské Pleso and Popradské Pleso, along with their sibling Hugo.

The cubs were found without their mother and in poor health. Administrators of the Tatra National Park and the State Nature Conservation Agency of the Slovak Republic initially monitored the area for several days. When the mother bear did not return and the cubs’ condition worsened, the conservationists decided to intervene and capture the cubs.