Romania approves culling of nearly 500 bears following fatal mauling
Over the past twenty years, bears in Romania have been involved in the deaths of 26 people and injuries to 274 others.
The Romanian parliament, responding to increased worries about bear attacks, has sanctioned the culling of 481 bears this year. This decision comes after a tragic incident in which 19-year-old hiker Maria Diana lost her life on a well-known trail in the Carpathian Mountains. In response to the urgency of the situation, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu convened an emergency session of parliament.
The head of Romania’s mountain rescue service, Sabin Corniou “From the information we have, the bear attacked the young woman on the trail, dragged her into the vegetation next to the trail, and somewhere in this vegetation, he dropped her into a chasm and fell there. The bear came down after her.”
Bear Attack Incident in Romania
In the previous year, Romania undertook the culling of 220 bears. Romania hosts Europe’s largest population of brown bears outside of Russia, estimated at around 8,000 bears according to the country’s environment ministry.
Over the past twenty years, bears have been involved in the deaths of 26 people and injuries to 274 others. Lawmakers argue that the “overpopulation” of bears has played a role in the rise of such incidents.
Environmental organizations have voiced criticism of the decision. World Wildlife Fund biologist Calin Ardelean said, “The law solves absolutely nothing.” He argued instead for a focus on prevention, intervention, and management of what are termed “problem bears.”.
WWF Romania has proposed that effective solutions, such as better waste management practices and regulations against feeding animals, are crucial to deter bears from entering communities and effectively address the issue.
The urgency of the matter is underscored by a significant increase in emergency calls reporting bear sightings, totaling around 7,500 calls in 2023, which is more than twice the number reported in the previous year.
Earlier this year, a tragic incident occurred in Slovakia where a woman lost her life while being pursued by a bear through dense forests and mountainous areas. Prior assessments by wildlife researchers indicated that Slovakia has the second highest concentration of bears in Europe, following only Romania in prevalence.
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