The recent killing of a teenager by a bear has ignited a national debate in Romania over the management of the country’s rising bear population. The tragic incident has prompted officials and wildlife experts to consider urgent measures to prevent further attacks.
The 19-year-old women was reportedly attacked while hiking in the Bucegi Mountains, a region known for its dense bear population. Authorities confirmed that the boy died from injuries sustained during the attack, which has sent shockwaves through the local community and beyond.
After this tragic incident Romania’s parliament voted to cull around 500 bears for a bear cull – but environmentalists fear this could eliminate the species in one of its last European strongholds.
Romania is home to one of Europe’s largest bear populations after Russia, with estimates suggesting there are between 6,000 and 8,000 bears in the country. Conservation efforts over the past decades have been successful in boosting bear numbers, but this success has also led to growing concerns about human-wildlife conflicts.
Environmental organizations and wildlife experts are concerned about the extinction of bear as the new law authorizes the killing of 481 bears in 2024, more than double last year’s total of 220, following public outcry over a deadly attack on a 19-year-old hiker.