Bears and wild boars in Poland: what officials say to do (GDOŚ)
Short answer: If you meet a bear in Poland, GDOŚ says stay calm, do not approach, and back away slowly without running. For wild boars in a city, move away calmly, keep dogs leashed, never feed them, and call 986 or 112 if there is danger.
Poland has brown bears in the Tatras and the Bieszczady mountains, wolves, and wild boars that wander into towns. Official bodies have repeated their advice in 2025 and 2026 because the animals are turning up near homes more often. This page collects the guidance of the General Directorate for Environmental Protection (GDOŚ, 27 April 2026), the Tatra National Park (TPN), the city of Kraków (12 March 2025) and a local sanitary station (24 August 2026). It is general safety information, not a guarantee.
Bears on the trail
GDOŚ lists these rules for places where bears may live:
- Do everything not to surprise the bear. Do not walk silently: talk so that you can be heard, and the bear will leave or show that it is near.
- Listen and watch the terrain, and try to move with the wind in your face.
- If you see fresh tracks, do not follow them. Avoid dense thickets and young plantations if you do not have to enter.
- Stay on roads and marked trails.
- Do not let a dog run free.
- Do not leave food, feed animals or throw food waste near buildings, because it can attract a bear.
The Tatra National Park adds that you should not leave the marked trails, should avoid the park at night when an encounter is much more likely, and should take special care when walking alone. It says that if you see a bear cub, the mother is always near, and getting between a mother and her young can provoke an attack. Dogs are not allowed in the national park, with limited exceptions for a leashed dog on the Droga pod Reglami and on the trail through Dolina Chochołowska to the mountain hut.
If you meet a bear
GDOŚ says to stay calm, not to approach, and to back away quietly and slowly without running. In a close encounter, do not look the animal in the eye, because it reads this as a sign of aggression. If an attack looks certain, try to distract the bear by putting an object such as a backpack or jacket in front of you. If that does not help, lie on your stomach or curl up, protect your neck and head with your hands, and stay down until the bear has gone for good. TPN adds: do not shout, do not make sudden movements, and report anything worrying to park staff instead of approaching.
Wild boars in towns
Kraków's city notice says boars are shy but unpredictable, and can turn aggressive when surprised. Sows with piglets are especially dangerous. The advice is to stay calm, move away from a distance without sudden movements, and freeze if the meeting is close. Never approach or feed them, and never set a dog on them. Keep your dog on a leash, and call it back at once if it is loose. Close bins and do not leave rubbish bags beside them. Feeding the animals is forbidden, according to the notice. In Kraków you can report boars to the City Guard on 986 (24 hours), to the Crisis Management Centre on 12 616 59 99, or to the city's environment department.
General rules and emergency numbers
The Zduńska Wola sanitary station page of 24 August 2026 repeats the basics: keep a safe distance, do not touch or take wild animals, do not feed them, do not provoke them, and keep calm. It says taking wild animals out of their natural environment is legally forbidden. If an animal is a danger to people, call the City Guard on 986 in a city, or the police on 112 outside a city.
* Photos: cover, a brown bear in a zoo enclosure (Kaliningrad Zoo, CC0), and body, a forest track in autumn at Dziki Ostrów (CC0), both via Wikimedia Commons. The bear photo is not from the Polish wild.
What this page does not cover
We did not read detailed guidance on wolves (GDOŚ mentions them only in passing), on snakes such as the adder, or on rules for hunting or reporting injured animals. Local rules on feeding and fines differ by municipality, and the pages we read do not give penalty amounts.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do if I meet a bear in Poland?
GDOŚ says to stay calm, not to approach, and to retreat slowly and quietly without running or staring at it. TPN also says not to shout or make sudden movements.
Can I take my dog into the Tatra National Park?
Generally no. TPN says dogs are not allowed in the park, with exceptions for a leashed dog on the Droga pod Reglami and the Dolina Chochołowska trail to the mountain hut.
Who do I call about wild boars in a Polish city?
In Kraków, the City Guard on 986 or the Crisis Management Centre on 12 616 59 99. A sanitary station page says to call the City Guard on 986 in a city, or the police on 112 outside a city, if an animal is a danger.
