A man was rescued by border police from Ukraine after he climbed a tree to avoid an attack from a she-bear. He was fined for attempting to cross the border illegally.

According to the State Border Service of Ukraine, a man had an unexpected encounter with a she-bear while traveling at night. To protect himself from a possible attack, he climbed a tree and called for help. The border police from the Mukachevo Detachment responded quickly, and the animal left the area before the crews arrived.

The man was safely brought down and transported to the border unit's headquarters, where he received a contravention report for attempting to cross the border illegally. Since the beginning of the war, thousands of Ukrainian citizens have tried to reach Romania through hard-to-access areas, and in the first seven months of 2025, over 5,400 Ukrainians were detected crossing the border illegally. Romanian authorities have warned about the risks associated with illegal crossings, and mountain rescuers have frequently intervened to save Ukrainian citizens caught by severe weather conditions or exhausted.