Bear mother and cubs break into Bușteni home; one cub killed after shootout

A female brown bear with three cubs entered a house on Făgetului Street in the mountain resort of Bușteni, Romania, on two consecutive days. During both visits the animals opened the refrigerator and ate food; the homeowner, a 92‑year‑old man, filmed the incidents from the basement. A video later showed the bear retrieving a cheese while the son described, “Ursul acesta a mai intrat și ieri în casă… a deschis frigiderul și a mâncat o cașcavea.”

When the bear returned a second time, local authorities deemed the situation a high danger to residents. Police shot the bear; one cub suffered fatal injuries, while the remaining two cubs fled into the forest and are being searched for to be taken to a bear‑cub shelter in Bălan, Harghita. The episode reflects a surge in human‑bear conflicts in Prahova County, which recorded 272 bear‑related interventions in the first five months of 2026, up from the previous year.