Škofljica - A 53-year woman sustained light injures after being attacked by a brown bear in the woods in the Pijava Gorica area, south of Ljubljana, on Saturday in what is the second such incident in a week, according to a police report.

Police have intervened at the site of the incident and inquiries to ascertain the facts are ongoing, the Ljubljana Police Department said in a press release.

It said the woman had been taken to the UKC Ljubljana hospital by a relative with light injuries.

"The area being popular with hikers and walkers in particular in fine weather, we urge caution," the police release reads.

It says the Hunters' Association and the Environment Ministry have been notified of the incident.

Last Sunday a 63-year-old hunter was attacked by a she bear in the Postojna area, sustaining a broken arm, rib injuries and wounds on his back.

As the bear attacked in defence of her two cubs, the Hunters' Association said at the time it would not propose she be put down, but said Slovenia's 1,000-plus bear population was too large.

Slovenia recorded ten bear attacks on humans in the period between 2017 and 2021, of which two last year. The latest two incidents are the first this year.

A total of 148 brown bears were culled in Slovenia last year, of which 128 were hunted. For this year until Slovenia Forest Service has proposed culling 222 bears but the permit has not been issued yet by the Environment Ministry.