The Ministry of Environment has shared the preliminary results of a study estimating Romania's brown bear population. The research, which analyzed over 24,000 genetic samples from 25 counties, suggests that the country is home to between 10,419 and 12,770 brown bears, with a 95% confidence level.
The number is much higher than the up to 8,000 bears previously estimated to roam Romania's forests in 2023.
According to environment minister Mircea Fechet, this marks the first time Romania has a scientifically-supported estimate of its brown bear population, as previous numbers were based on indirect methods or visual observations.
The study is part of the National Action Plan for Brown Bear Conservation, and according to minister Fechet, the research is significant both for its scale and for being entirely conducted in Romania. All genetic analyses were done at the National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry "Marin Drăcea" using modern equipment.
Mircea Fechet also stated that the results offer a clearer picture of the brown bear population in Romania and will help guide future management strategies that balance conservation with addressing safety concerns in affected communities.
Looking ahead, the project will continue with a long-term plan for genetic monitoring, which is expected to be finalized by the end of 2025, the Environment Ministry said. Additionally, the government will implement a new zoning system for bear management, dividing areas into conservation zones, conflict zones, sustainable management zones, and marginal zones.
As part of the ongoing project, the ministry also said, Romania will introduce a nationwide digital tool to aid in quick decision-making about bear management. The project also includes measures like training for personnel, deploying electric fences in bear-prone areas, and installing monitoring systems to reduce human-bear conflicts.
"At the same time, to manage crisis situations where people are in danger, we have proposed changes to primary legislation, specifically OUG 81/2021. We are eliminating the gradual intervention in cases where citizens report the presence of one or more bears in the built-up areas of a locality. In this way, the mayor has the freedom to decide on the intervention method they deem appropriate for the situation they are facing. They can euthanize or shoot the bear without having to go through the intermediary steps of scaring it away or relocating it, measures that have proven ineffective so far," minister Fechet also said.
In 2024, Romania doubled the hunting quota for the brown bear to almost 500 following the deadly attack on a hiker in the Carpathians. After another severe attack in the mountain town of Predeal in March this year, minister Mircea Fechet said that the annual quota for bear culling could be revised again.
However, environmental groups expressed serious concerns, arguing that hunting alone is not a sufficient solution to lower the number of bear attacks or sustainably manage the population. They have repeatedly said that the law passed last year could potentially open the door to trophy hunting, a practice that is in direct violation of EU legislation.
irina.marica@romania-insider.com
(Photo source: Inquam Photos / George Călin)
