Romania urges faster bear culling after new attacks on humans

Romania's government is pushing for faster action on a law that permits the culling of dangerous bears after a spate of attacks on humans.

Environment Minister Diana Buzoianu criticized local authorities for bureaucratic delays in implementing the legislation, which was modified late last year. "We have found cases where, despite dangerous bears having entered a locality, the respective town halls decided not to intervene and opted bureaucratically for other avenues," she stated at a press conference.

The minister reminded the public that while brown bears are a protected species in the European Union, the law now allows for immediate culling of bears deemed a risk to people. Previously, authorities had to attempt to scare away or relocate the animal before resorting to lethal force if it returned.

Buzoianu's remarks come after several incidents, including a man found dead with signs of a wild animal attack in Sibiu county and two Portuguese tourists and a Ukrainian woman injured on the popular Transfagarasan highway. Authorities have also reminded citizens not to feed bears, with fines ranging from 2,000 to 6,000 euros for violations.

Romania is home to an estimated 10,419 to 12,770 brown bears. For 2026, a limit of 859 bears has been set for culling, though this figure has been challenged in court by President Nicusor Dan as excessively high.

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We have found cases where, despite the fact that dangerous bears had entered a locality, the respective town halls decided not to intervene and opted bureaucratically for other avenues.