Witnesses cited in Bulgarian media said the man tried to fend off the animal with a stick.
© Envato/byrdyakWitnesses cited in Bulgarian media said the man tried to fend off the animal with a stick.
A brown bear killed a man in the Vitosha mountains near Bulgaria's capital, Sofia, in the country's first fatal bear attack in sixteen years, police said on Sunday.

The body of the man, reported by Bulgarian media to be in his 30s, was found on Saturday near a trail linking two mountain huts in the northwestern part of the Vitosha massif, a popular hiking destination about 30 minutes from central Sofia.

Forensic experts and wildlife specialists concluded that the injuries were caused by a female bear accompanied by a cub, according to Sofia police.

Witnesses cited in Bulgarian media said the man tried to fend off the animal with a stick but was unable to stop the attack.

Vitosha, which rises to 2,295 meters just south of the capital, is home to deer, wild boar, wolves and an estimated 10 to 15 brown bears, and is one of the most frequented outdoor areas for residents of Sofia.

Fatal encounters with bears are rare in Bulgaria, where the overall brown bear population is estimated at between 300 and 500 animals.

The last fatal bear attack in Bulgaria was reported in 2010 in the Rhodope mountains in the south of the country.