Romanian authorities have proposed culling the bear population in Telciu after a 53-year-old woman was fatally attacked, the latest in a series of incidents.
Bear Population Growth Prompts Culling Request
The bear population in the Telciu municipality is estimated at 30 individuals, an increase of five from the previous year. This estimate prompted a culling request following the fatal attack on a 53-year-old resident of Bichigiu village in northern Romania.
The attack occurred near a pasture where the bear had previously killed a cow. An autopsy confirmed the woman’s injuries from the animal as the cause of death.
Rising Bear Encounters and Culling Limits
The latest fatal bear attack on a human in Romania was on April 27 in the central Harghita county, where a 65-year-old man was killed.
In response to increasing bear sightings near human settlements and roads, the Romanian parliament agreed in April to raise the preventive culling limit to 849 animals.
Historical Culling Limits and Romania’s Bear Population
Just three years ago, the annual preventive culling limit in Romania was 220 animals. This limit has been successively increased due to the growing presence of bears near populated areas.
Romania has the largest bear population in the European Union, exceeding 13,000 animals, with most residing in the Carpathian Mountains.
Fear of Bears Grows in Poland
Fear of bears is also increasing in Poland, particularly in the Podkarpacie and Bieszczady regions, following a tragedy on April 23 near Płonna.
A 58-year-old woman was attacked by a bear while searching for antlers in the forest with her son. She was found with head injuries, and a doctor pronounced her dead at the scene.
Biologist Dr. Wojciech Śmietana of the Science and Nature Foundation stated that claiming Bieszczady bears have lost their fear of humans is a significant overstatement.
