Vranov nad Topľou
Landslide near Domaša reservoir
A 200 metre-wide landslide occured in the Bogarka cottage area near the Domaša dam reservoir on March 24. According to Vranov nad Topľou District police chief Igor Pribula, the first signs of this looming disaster were registered in 1997 and 1998.
The landslide directly threatens 17 cottages, while access to another 50 cottages has been cut off. The current situation is complicated by last winter's excessive snowfall and the subsequent increase in underground water levels.
Damage from the landslide has been estimated in the tens of millions of Slovak crowns. Recovery and clearing operations will require financial help from the state.
Staré Hory
Bold ravens seek to dethrone the king of birds
Although spring has just begun, observations in the Malá Fatra mountain range indicate that raven nesting pairs are already sitting on their eggs and awaiting the hatching of their offspring around Eastertide.
Miroslav Šaniga, an ornithological expert from the Research Station of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, explained that the black raven is known for its aggressiveness to all bird species in its surroundings, and even dares to attack the mighty eagle, unofficially considered to be the king of birds. It is not uncommon for ravens to scare an eagle away from its eyrie and plunder the eggs.
At the beginning of this century, ravens were very rare in Slovakia, and it was only during the two decades after WWII that the raven population multiplied significantly. Currently, there are about 1,500 to 2,000 raven pairs in Slovakia.
Ravens dwell chiefly in mountain forests, and can survive the harshest winter by scavenging for food in garbage dumps.
Banská Bystrica
Illegal border crossing of Yugoslav citizens
Banská Bystrica regional police reported that 13 Yugoslav citizens had illegally crossed the Hungarian-Slovak border at Veľká Ves nad Ipľom (Veľký Krtíš district) on March 24 at 22:30. The immigrants, who included six men, four women and three children, were attempting to reach Germany as their final destination.
The suspicious individuals were noticed near the state border by a two-member patrol of soldiers currently on military service, who subsequently informed the police of the illegal crossing.
The migrants were carrying no reliable identity documents, and thus were promptly deported. Slovak state authorities decided to prohibit their stay on Slovak territory for a period of three years. On March 25, they were transported to the Slovenské Darmoty border crossing and handed over to the Hungarian border police.
Compiled by Martina Pisárová from press reports
