Bear cub injures 2 in attack at sanctuary
The Associated Press - Published: December 16, 2006
ZAGREB, Croatia: A bear cub attacked two people, including a 19-year-old German volunteer, at a sanctuary in Croatia on Saturday, injuring both of them, police said.
The bear was then shot by a visitor of the orphanage in Kuterevo in central Croatia.
The cub — one of four taken care of in the only such bear sanctuary in Croatia — first attacked the German volunteer, who was not identified, police said. When the head of the orphanage, Ivan Crnkovic, ran to help her, the bear turned on him.
The volunteer, one of many who come to Kuterevo to take care of the cubs, was treated in a local clinic with minor injuries. Crnkovic suffered leg wounds, but was not in life threatening condition, Dr. Damir Stiglic said.
It is the first such incident in the orphanage since it was opened four years ago and has since become a tourist attraction.
Experts believe the attack might have been caused by an unusually mild winter, which prevents bears from starting their hibernation season.
