Bear kills hiker near Sofia, prompting security sweep in Vitosha park

A fatal bear attack in the mountains above Sofia has jolted Bulgaria’s most visited hiking area and raised new concerns about how close wildlife is coming to the capital. Authorities said a man was killed in Vitosha Nature Park, a heavily used stretch of the Vitosha massif that sits directly outside Sofia.

The man’s body was found on Saturday, May 16, 2026, near the inactive Rudnichar hut in the northwestern part of Vitosha, close to a trail linking two mountain huts. Bulgaria’s interior ministry said a forensic doctor and a big game expert concluded that he had been killed by a bear. Sofia police said the injuries on the body were consistent with an attack by a female bear accompanied by her cub.

Bulgarian media reported that the victim was in his 30s, with one account identifying him as 35. Some reports said witnesses believed he may have tried to fend off the animal with a stick. Officials have not released further details about the man’s identity.

The killing prompted an immediate security response in the park. Lyubomir Nikolov, the director of the Sofia police Directorate of Internal Affairs, ordered the area secured with a constant police presence. Authorities also said drones and camera traps would be deployed as part of the sweep, reflecting concern that the bear may still be moving through a zone frequented by hikers, families and day visitors from the city.

The attack stands out because it is so rare. Some outlets reported it was Bulgaria’s first fatal wild animal attack since 2010 and its first fatal bear attack in 16 years. In a country where bears still range through forested mountain terrain, the case is likely to sharpen debate over how tourism, development and human movement are pushing deeper into wildlife habitat.

Vitosha’s proximity to Sofia gives the episode unusual force. The mountain is a common escape for residents of the capital, but its popularity also means more trails, more visitors and more chances for encounters in areas where bears are present. For authorities, the challenge now is to keep people safe without turning one of Bulgaria’s most accessible natural spaces into a place of fear.