Bear kills man in Romanian mountains

A man died after being attacked by a bear in one of the most mountainous areas in Romania.

The authorities said that the victim, who was riding a motorcycle, stopped in a famous tourist area on the Tranvagaran road on Tuesday morning.

They added that the bear fell to the bottom of a very slope valley with a decrease in a height of about 80 meters (262 feet).

“Unfortunately, he has already died when we arrived,” said Ion Sandolio, head of the rescue service in the province of Arser, told the BBC.

“The injuries were very severe. Although he was wearing a helmet and full protective equipment, that was not enough.”

Sandolio said the victim had stopped his bike next to a sign that warned against feeding the bears.

“My advice is simple: Do not stop, do not feed them, and keep a distance.”

Officials said the animal has not been disposed of yet. Investigating the accident continues.

Romania is home to the largest brown bear in the European Union.

Human confrontations have increased in recent years, with many deadly accidents that raise calls for clearer regulations in prevention strategies.

The recent genetic studies conducted by the Romanian Ministry of Environment estimated that the country’s brown population ranges between 10400 and 12800 – much higher than previous charges.

The former Minister of Environment MIRCEA FECHET considered that the ideal sustainable population is about 4000 bear – nearly a third of the current estimate.

Fecheet suggested simplifying laws to allow local authorities to take more urgent measures, including the ability to get rid of bears entering residential areas.

The Ministry also plans to better provide the risk area maps to manage the population of the bear, and balance the preservation efforts with public safety.

Specialists maintain maintaining that death reflects the deepest structural problems in the management of wildlife in Romania.

Gabriel Ban, founder of the undersecretary of environmental NGOs, who is carrying out wildlife protection campaigns and against illegal trees, said the issue is mismanagement, not population overcrowding.

“Repeated tragedies on the Transfaagarasan Road are the result of multiple failure: tourists stop interacting with wild animals, local authorities that do not do enough to return the bears to the forest, and the national government – especially the Ministry of Environment – who failed to properly implement the national plan for coexistence between wildlife and human beings.”

Payon said that the residents of the bear were threatened with “climate change and the destruction of human habitats and human persecution,” adding that Romania has become a “major destination” for the international cup fishermen.

Sandulaiu believes that a stronger deterrence is needed to prevent further loss of life.

“The solution is simple, in my opinion: higher fines and even prison sentences for those who stop feeding the bears,” he said.