Thai Berry Picker Hospitalised After Bear Attack in Northern Sweden

PHNOM PENH, August 4, 2026 – A Thai national is receiving medical treatment in Sweden following a bear attack that occurred on Friday evening in the forests of Lycksele Municipality, Västerbotten County, according to Swedish media reports.

Am Saisuk, 46, was picking cloudberries when she encountered a bear approximately 90 metres from a road, according to her partner, Sunan Phiankham. The partner reported that the bear attacked without warning and bit her three times. The attack ceased after she remained still, he said.

Other berry pickers assisted in transporting her to medical personnel. She was subsequently taken to Umeå University Hospital, where she underwent surgery for injuries to her head and both hands. Her partner stated that her condition has improved post-surgery.

Police were notified of the incident around 10 p.m. on Friday after the hospital reported the case. Authorities decided the bear should be destroyed and deployed specialist wildlife teams to search the area overnight and into Saturday morning. The bear was not located.

On Saturday, police called off the search, stating that multiple bears inhabit the area and that officers required certainty in identifying the specific bear involved before authorising its destruction. No further search is currently planned.

Tobias Höglander, police hunting and wildlife coordinator for Västerbotten, stated that bear attacks on humans are uncommon in Sweden and that incidents involving berry pickers are particularly rare, with most attacks occurring in connection with hunting.

Police are also investigating the incident as a possible workplace accident, as the individual may have been engaged in seasonal berry-picking work at the time of the attack.

— Source: ScandAsia

https://scandasia.com/thai-berry-picker-survives-bear-attack-in-northern-sweden/

Reported by The Khmer Today