The wild brown bears that can be often seen staying on the side of the famous Transfăgărășan mountain road in Romania will be captured and relocated to the Libearty sanctuary in Zărnești, environment minister Mircea Fechet announced.

“The problem of these bears has been going on for far too long; several accidents have already happened, and, unfortunately, if we do not intervene quickly, we are one step away from a real tragedy,” the minister said.

Bear sightings are common on the Transfăgărășan, especially as the animals got used to tourists giving them food, despite the authorities’ repeated calls to avoid any contact with the wild animals and the risk of being fined for doing so. This sometimes resulted in tourists being injured by the bears they stopped to photograph or feed. 

Moreover, specialists have warned that this situation also changes the animals’ behavior, as they get used to receiving food from humans, which in turn can be dangerous for their survival in the wild.

“The situation here represents an imminent danger for tourists who choose to ignore the law and the recommendations of the authorities and stop on the side of the road to photograph or feed the bears. At the same time, major damage is done to the species. Specialists informed me that these bears have fundamentally changed their behavior in recent years, with begging on the highway becoming their main source of food,” Mircea Fechet explained.

He also said that the Libearty Sanctuary has been, for many years, “a model of excellence worldwide in the management of bears recovered from captivity.” Thus, this can also be a suitable new home for the bears on Transfăgărășan.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Facebook/Mircea Fechet)