Romania Signs Law Allowing 859 Bears to Be Shot as Attacks on Humans Rise
President Nicușor Dan signed the bill he had previously challenged on constitutional grounds. Officials admit it may already be too late to meet this year's quota.
Romania's president, Nicușor Dan, signed a law on Monday allowing the preventive shooting of 859 brown bears this year. The bill, which he had previously challenged on constitutional grounds and sent back to parliament for reconsideration, was re-adopted by the Chamber of Deputies on September 16.
Under the new legislation, a further 110 protected large wild animals may be hunted as an intervention measure if they pose a threat to human life. The law enters into force once published in the official gazette.
The measure responds to a sharp increase in bear sightings in towns and villages across Romania, and a rising number of bear attacks, including fatal incidents. According to an earlier survey mapping the brown bear population, Romania is home to Europe's largest bear population and the greatest genetic diversity among bear species. The study put the number of individuals at between 10,600 and 12,700.
The legislation was initiated by the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania and has been through a months-long legal wrangle. President Dan sent the draft back to parliament in August after first lodging a constitutional challenge, which was rejected by the Constitutional Court. He asked parliament to review and supplement the legislation, arguing that several points needed clarification. The Chamber of Deputies approved the bill without amendments, in the form already adopted by the Senate.
Officials warn that it may now be impossible to fulfil this year's quota. Covasna County prefect Ráduly István said that because of the limited time available, the target cannot be met. In the Szeklerland county alone, 86 bears should be culled this year, of which 30 have already been removed, but there is not enough time left to reach the full quota. He stressed that the law was much needed because both the number of bears and the damage they cause have increased significantly. In the first eight months of this year, around 300 emergency calls were registered over bears straying into built-up areas, and there were two bear attacks.
Senator Tánczos Barna, acting deputy prime minister and one of the initiators, recalled that the alliance had requested nearly a year ago that preventive quotas be doubled for this year and for 2027. He said the step followed a scientific survey confirming that the overpopulation of bears can only be curbed through more effective intervention, and that immediate action against dangerous bears does not replace broader population control measures.
For now, the law is in force. The quota is set. But with winter approaching and the legal delays having consumed most of the year, the question is not whether Romania will shoot 859 bears — it is how many of the allocated quota will ever actually be filled. The bears, meanwhile, continue to wander into towns and villages, and the people who live there are still waiting for the shootings to begin.
Written by Thomas Nussbaumer thomas.nussbaumer@alpineweekly.com