Romanian authorities kill bear that attacked and killed tourist on mountain trail
Prahova County gendarmes were called to the Jepii Mici tourist trail in the Bucegi mountains after a 19-year-old female tourist was attacked and killed by a bear. The animal was especially aggressive and had to be put down, the authorities said.
Another tourist witnessed the moment the woman was attacked and called the emergency number 112. He said that the woman was dragged by the bear to an area where he could no longer see what was happening to her. The body was found later on, mutilated.
The first responders faced a difficult situation when they attempted to recover the body, as the bear remained in the area and tried to attack them as well.
"We were notified that a tourist was attacked by a bear on the Jepii Mici trail near Valea Spumoasă. A rescue team from Salvamont Prahova went to the area, and they rappelled down the valley and found the victim, unfortunately deceased. The recovery operation is extremely difficult due to the rugged terrain and the continued presence of the bear, which is approximately 10-15 meters from the mountain rescuers," said Salvamont Prahova, cited by G4Media.
"This is a situation we have not encountered before. [...] We have had situations where animals came, threatened, demanded food, and made their presence felt to receive something. But here, it seems we are already talking about a direct attack, and this is not typical of bears. It needs to be seen exactly what influenced it. Maybe the heat, maybe some disease the animal is suffering from. We need to see exactly what changed its behavior so radically that we end up with such events," the president of Salvamont Romania, Sabin Cornoiu, told EuropaFM.
In the end, to keep themselves safe, the gendarmes were forced to kill the bear. The decision to eliminate the wild animal was made because it repeatedly attacked the rescuers who descended into the ravine to recover the young woman’s body.
Former environment minister Tanczos Barna weighed in on the tragic event, saying that it could have been avoided if his proposed bill reintroducing hunting had been adopted.
“We are no longer safe on mountain trails, we are no longer safe on agricultural land, and in certain areas, we are not even safe within the boundaries of localities. There is a need for commitment, responsibility from the Legislature, and an urgent decision to prevent such tragedies. I extend my sincere condolences to the grieving family and continue to believe that nothing can be more important than human lives," added Tanczos Barna, cited by Agerpres.
The former minister has long advocated for bear hunting quotas, but environmental NGOs have also pointed out that eliminating dominant bears will create an imbalance in the bear population and likely increase it. In past years, hunters used hunting permits to go after prize bears and not those that actually threatened human settlements.
(Photo source: Fernbach Antal | Dreamstime.com)
