Nicusor Dan signed a law regulating the cull of bear populations in Romania, which permits the preventive shooting of 859 brown bears this year. Furthermore, the new legislation allows for the hunting of an additional 110 protected large wild animals should they pose a threat to human life.
Romania currently hosts Europe's largest bear population and possesses the greatest genetic diversity among bear species. A study estimates the total number of bears in the country to be between 10,600 and 12,700 individuals.
The law, which originated from the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ), will become effective once it appears in the official gazette. Dan returned the draft law to parliament in August after initially lodging a constitutional challenge.
The Chamber of Deputies approved the bill without making any changes, adopting the version already agreed upon by the Senate. Senator Tánczos Barna recalled that the alliance had requested doubling the preventive quotas for both this year and for 2027 nearly a year ago.
Covasna County prefect Ráduly István warned that meeting this year's quota would prove impossible. In Szeklerland county, the required cull number for this year stands at 86 bears.
Authorities have already removed 30 bears in the region. Around 300 emergency calls were registered over bears entering built-up areas during the first eight months of the year.
Two bear attacks were also recorded. The overpopulation of bears in Romania, experts suggest, can only be controlled through more effective intervention measures.
