Slovakia approves sale of brown bear meat to publicHowever, Slovakia's government is forging ahead with the plan and this week announced that meat from culled bears would be sold to the public to prevent waste. The brown bear is listed as a "near threatenend" species in the EU by the World Conservation Union. The meat of brown bears, a protected species in the EU, could soon be available to eat in Slovakia after the populist government approved plans for sale. Slovakia ranks second in Europe, behind Romania which is estimated to have about 13,000 brown bears, for the number of attacks. Where bear meat is consumed, health officials warn of the risk of Trichinella - a parasite that can cause serious illness in humans.