Romania’s bears trapped in the rewild divide

Romania holds roughly 60 percent of the European Union’s brown bear population, yet the success of conservation efforts has fueled a volatile conflict. With government estimates now suggesting upwards of 10,000 bears, the state has authorized aggressive culling, raising the annual hunting quota to nearly 1,000 animals. Officials argue this is essential for public safety, citing 14 deaths and 150 serious injuries over the past five years. Critics, however, contend these figures are politically manipulated to justify hunting and ignore the root causes of the encounters.

While some advocate for broader hunting rights, others point to the success of towns like Băile Tușnad. By replacing lethal intervention with electric fencing, bear-resistant trash containers, and the removal of fruit trees, the town slashed emergency calls from 237 in 2021 to just 14 this year. This approach suggests that coexistence is possible, yet the Romanian government continues to lobby Brussels to downgrade the bear’s protected status under the Habitats Directive. For local leaders like Ghiță, the policy debate remains secondary to the immediate danger: protecting residents in an landscape where the boundary between human expansion and wild habitat has effectively collapsed.