Romania Bear Cull 900
Bears in Romania are so used to getting fed they actually come down from the mountains and beg motorists, who dutifully oblige despite bear feeding being illegal Ferencz Istvan/Pexels

Romania has increased its bear-culling quota to 900, almost double the previous limit. The nation is home to the most number of brown bears in Europe, with a preliminary multi-year DNA study estimating the number to be between 10,000 and 13,000—about half of Europe's brown bear population.

Legislators made the move despite many critics, as bear hunting is a way of regulating the brown bear population. Some 30 deaths have been attributed to bear attacks in the last 20 years in Romania, incidents that experts say are largely preventable.

Doing It for the Gram

While bears instinctively avoid humans, many Romanian bears have lost such fear because they get food from passing motorists. Within three hours on a sunny morning along the Transfagarasan mountain road, observers reported a few dozen brown bears came out of hiding as passing motorists dangled food so they could take selfies.

Some Romanians purposely travel the mountain road to get a glimpse or take photos of the bears. When food is not offered, the bears will beg for it. Feeding bears is illegal in Romania, as is the case in many countries where there is a high population of wild bears.

There are also many signs around the Transfagarasan highway warning against giving food to the wildlife, but these are routinely ignored as social media content takes precedence. The Romanian government imposes fines ranging from RON 10,000 to RON 30,000 (£1,631 to £4,893 / $2,197 to $6,590) for feeding the bears.

A motorist stops at the famous Transfagarasan mountain road but was too preoccupied by his phone he didn't notice a bear trying to bite his leg

Intelligence of Brown Bears

Bears are quite smart. In a study titled 'Problem-Solving and Spontaneous Tool-Using Ability in European Brown Bears,' researchers found that bears, who have proportionally larger brains, have high cognitive abilities. Researchers Helen Chambers and Sean O'Hara from the University of Salford concluded: 'The evidence presented here supports the proposition that bears possess problem-solving abilities.'

It is not a surprise that Romanian bears are quick to catch on that humans stopping on the mountain highway will likely give them food. Increasingly, they are venturing into towns. A resident of Predeal, a mountain town, shared that bears scrounge for rubbish outside their homes.

'The bear comes almost every evening. We already don't go out into town in the evening,' said Jean Stangaciu. The new legislation increasing bear culling quota to 900 from the previous 481 is meant to solve the problem of bear threats. However, critics say the the quota is for Romania bear hunting.

Bears that visit towns at night cannot legally be shot as this contitutes poaching. 'Hunting won't happen where bears come to the roadside on the Transfagarasan,' said Cristina Lapis of the Libearty Sanctuary. This is the second time in a couple of years that bear culling quota was increased.

Teenager Killed in Bear Attack in 2024

In 2024, the quota was also increased from 220 to 481 following the tragic death of a teenager. A 19-year-old woman was hiking the Carpathian Mountains with her boyfriend in July 2024. A bear chased them and successfully grabbed the woman's leg, dragged her and threw her into the valley.

A post shared by instagram

In 2024, the brown bear population in Romania was estimated to be around 8,000. Bears have also become a tourist attraction for the country. Romania's tourism arm often posts brown bears on its Instagram, reinforcing their role as both a national symbol and a source of controversy.

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