Romania addresses risks of feeding wild bears

Authorities in Romania are addressing the issue of citizens feeding wild bears despite significant fines ranging from 10,000 to 30,000 lei. Feeding bears in the wild causes them to lose their hunting instincts and associate humans with food, leading to aggressive behavior and the creation of “problem bears” that often require relocation or euthanasia.

Interim Environment Minister Diana Buzoianu stated that laws have been modified to allow mayors to intervene directly when bears enter residential areas and pose a danger to communities. This new legal framework removes the requirement for the gradual intervention processes that were mandatory under previous legislation, acknowledging that habituated bears no longer possess a natural fear of humans.