Best intentions... catastrophic failure

When the Romanian government banned bear hunting back in 2016, they simultaneously abandoned sensible bear management. The results on the ground are terrifying. Since the ban dozens of people have lost their lives in bear attacks and hundreds of survivors are crippled for life.

What happened? The hunting ban allowed the bear population to outgrow natural carrying capacity in the areas that were managed and the bears spread into more densely populated areas. The number of human/wildlife conflicts quickly spun out of control and in rural Romania people are now living in terror.

But surely it must have been good for the bears? Before the ban Romania was home to a thriving bear population with very few problems. Now bear attacks are common and locals are taking matters into their own hands by placing honey on the railroad tracks, lacing minced meat with poison or nails or by trying to snare and kill the troublesome bears.

It will take years to rebuild a management system and three generations of garbage bears needs to be removed from the gene pool. They meant so well...but it went to Hell...

I will go back to Romania in the winter to talk to affected people about the challenges.

Jens Ulrik Høgh
Nordic Safari Club - Conservation