Authorities in Romania have begun the relocation of bears around the famous Transfăgărășan mountain road. A female bear and her cub will be the first to be moved from the roadside, where they got used to stay to receive food from travelers. 

Female bears with cubs are known to become aggressive easily in an attempt to protect their cubs.

"She has been on Transfăgărășan for 4-5 years, and the place she chose is very frequented, and we've had many incidents with her,” Mihai Coman, a forestry engineer from the Argeș Forestry Department, told ProTV.

Authorities say that all bears coming to ask for food along the Transfăgărășan will be relocated, with the most dangerous ones being moved first.

At the same time, warning signs will be put up for tourists who persist in feeding the bears, and surveillance cameras will also be installed to identify those who break the laws. 

According to Romanian law, feeding wild animals is punishable with a fine ranging from RON 500 (EUR 100) to RON 1,500 (EUR 300). At the moment, agents of the Romanian Gendarmerie and Traffic Squad can issue two fines to travelers who stop to feed bears on the famous Transfăgărășan mountain road - one for feeding the bear, and another for stopping.

Aside from relocating, the Romanian Parliament also recently approved a law increasing the hunting quota for brown bears to almost 500 from 220 previously. The larger quota comes as an attempt to control the population, despite criticism from environmental NGOS.

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Mircea Fechet on Facebook)