Stâlpu and Câmpina residents alerted by bear sightings and AI imagery

Two separate incidents involving bear scares occurred in Romania. In Stâlpu, a real bear was spotted crossing a railway near the Merei commune on the evening of October 19. Following a RO-ALERT notification, local authorities, including the mayor, Gendarmerie, SMURD, and a designated hunter, conducted a search operation. The bear was reportedly startled by vehicle headlights and fled toward the former IAS area, where its tracks were lost. Search efforts concluded around 1:00 AM without finding the animal, and no livestock agitation was reported.

In Câmpina, Prahova, panic was triggered by an AI-generated image of a bear with five legs circulating on social media. Residents mistook the digital creation for a real animal, leading to emergency 112 calls and a RO-ALERT message. Authorities later confirmed the image was fake. The individual responsible for the false emergency calls received a written warning from Prahova authorities.