Romania doubles bear kill rate after attacks

In view of numerous attacks by bears on people, Romania has doubled the shooting rate of the wild animals - despite protests from animal rights activists and despite resistance from President Nicusor Dan. The head of state has now signed a law passed in September, according to which almost 1,000 bears can be shot this year.

Dan had previously unsuccessfully challenged the corresponding draft at the Constitutional Court. The court rejected Dan's claim that the project violated EU law. The President then sent the project back to Parliament for reconsideration, but the people's representatives stuck to their previous decision.

Animal rights activists want to alert the EU

In addition to other animal rights activists, the World Animal Protection Society in Berlin also criticized the doubling of the shooting quota. She launched a petition to the EU Commission demanding that Brussels “carefully review both the scientific basis used by the Romanian government to justify the shooting quota and the legality of the new law.”

According to the new law, 859 bears can be shot this year as a precaution and another 110 if they are proven to have endangered people. In areas of Romania where hunting is generally prohibited, shooting bears is also prohibited. In 2024, the kill rate for prevention was 426 and in the event of an intervention after endangering people, it was 55.

According to estimates by the Ministry of the Environment, there are around 12,800 bears living in Romania - more than twice as many as the number that is considered ecologically acceptable. Romania has the second largest bear population in Europe - after Russia.

Just four days ago, in the Transylvanian village of Hoghiz - near the city of Brasov - a 55-year-old farmer was killed by a bear while working in a corn field, Romanian media reported. His wife, who was also present at the scene of the attack, was able to save herself at the last moment. Bears in Romania repeatedly attack hikers, break into farms, kill sheep and approach cities where they look for food in garbage cans.

Bears scared away by throwing a cell phone

The authorities also complain that, despite an official ban, many tourists feed the bears and thereby encourage them to get closer to people. In the summer of 2025, a female bear killed an Italian tourist on the Transfagarasan Carpathian pass, minutes after he fed the animal.

Some communities are trying to scare the bears away by building electric fences, locking trash cans and removing fruit trees that would attract the animals. The Carpathian health resort of Baile Tusnad serves as a model. Yet last summer, a Hungarian journalist found himself confronted by an angry bear while jogging near Tusnad. He scared the animal away by throwing his smartphone at it.