Romanian Deputy PM warns bears expanding into lowlands, potentially reaching Danube Delta

Bears are expanding their territory beyond the Carpathian Mountains, venturing into lowland and plains regions, warned interim Deputy Prime Minister Tanczos Barna. He cautioned that if current trends continue, bears might even be found swimming in the Danube Delta.

Barna revealed that a study, conducted with significant European funding and genetic analysis as requested by NGOs, estimated the bear population in Romania to be between 10,000 and 12,000 individuals. He suggested that this high number is a cause for concern and may not be what environmental organizations had hoped for.

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They have come down from the Carpathians and are going into the hilly and plain areas. They will be swimming in the Danube Delta if we are not careful.

Addressing the issue of bear encounters in populated areas, Barna asserted that dangerous bears posing a threat to communities must be eliminated without delay. The warning comes amid growing concerns about human-wildlife conflict as bear populations appear to be increasing and moving into new territories.

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I also presented to the European Commission the study we did with a lot of money, European money, with genetic analyses. What all the NGOs wanted. They now have the analysis. They don't like that the figure turned out too high: 10,000-12,000, between 10,000 and 12,000 specimens.