Romania’s parliament has approved the culling of almost 500 bears this year in a bid to control the protected species’ “overpopulation” following the death of a young hiker who was mauled to death by a bear in the Carpathian mountains.
The measure, which more than doubles the previous year’s killing quota of 220, was passed after a 19-year-old woman was attacked and killed by a bear while hiking with her partner. The tragic incident triggered widespread public outcry and prompted Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu to urgently convene parliament from its summer break to address the issue.
Romania has Europe’s largest population of brown bears outside of Russia, with an estimated 8,000 bears according to the environment ministry. Over the past two decades, bears have been responsible for the deaths of 26 individuals and the severe injury of 274 others in the country.
Lawmakers argued that the bears’ overpopulation has led to an increase in attacks, although they acknowledged that the law alone will not eliminate future incidents. However, environmental groups have condemned the decision, arguing that culling is not a sustainable solution and that the focus should be shifted towards prevention, intervention, and managing “problem bears” rather than mere population control.
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WWF Romania biologist Calin Ardelean stated that “The law solves absolutely nothing” and suggested that measures such as improved waste management and preventing people from feeding animals are necessary to keep bears away from communities and effectively tackle the problem. Last year, Romanian authorities received over 7,500 emergency calls reporting bear sightings, more than double the number from the previous year.
In a separate incident in Slovakia, a woman also lost her life after being pursued by a bear in dense forests and mountainous terrains. Researchers noted that Slovakia’s bear concentration ranks second only to Romania in Europe.