Romania hosting the largest brown bear population in Europe has raised concerns with the increasing attacks, leading to discussions of new legal regulations. Experts claim that the bear population has tripled the optimal level.

The brown bear population in Romania was found to be much higher than previously believed. According to the country’s forestry research institute, there could be up to 13,000 brown bears living in the country, almost double the previous estimations of 8,000. A report prepared with new genetic analysis showed a significant concentration of bears in the Carpathian Mountains. Based on a three-year study conducted in 25 counties, including DNA analyses from feces and fur samples, the institute revealed that the bear population ranged between 10,419 and 12,770. This places Romania as the country with the largest brown bear population in Europe, outside of Russia. Brown bears are protected under European Union laws. However, due to the increased attacks and human casualties, Romanian Environment Minister Mircea Fechet announced lobbying efforts to loosen this protection status with the European Commission. Fechet stated, “Experts say the optimum bear population is around 4,000. We need to intervene,” indicating that they are preparing for a new law.

BEAR ATTACKS ON THE RISE According to data from the Ministry of Environment, bears have killed 26 people and severely injured 274 over the past 20 years. The most recent tragic incident occurred last year when a 19-year-old youth died in a bear attack on a hiking trail in the Carpathian Mountains. In 2023, over 7,500 emergency calls were made regarding bear sightings. In response, the government doubled the annual controlled killing quota to 481 compared to the previous year. The new draft law aims to grant local authorities direct euthanasia powers bypassing the gradual intervention system. Fechet emphasized the inadequacy of current methods, stating, “Human lives come first.”

DEBATES INTENSIFY Some environmental groups oppose the government’s “overpopulation” rhetoric, arguing that the solution lies not in killing bears but in keeping them away from human settlements and targeting ‘problematic’ individuals. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Romania questioned the genetic research methods but acknowledged that the institute’s study was 95% accurate. Furthermore, the German Foreign Ministry issued a warning to its citizens traveling to Romania, highlighting that bears are increasingly entering settlements and roads. A similar situation occurred in neighboring Slovakia, where permission was granted for the culling of about a quarter of the country’s approximately 1,300 brown bears following the death of a 59-year-old man in a bear attack. Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico stated, “A country where people are afraid to go into the woods is not a place to live.”