Census shows high number of brown bears in Romania

The country, which has the largest population in Europe outside Russia, had last year doubled its slaughter quotas for this species, protected by a European directive, in the face of an increase in incidents.

Mircea Fechet participated in a press conference dedicated to presenting, for the first time, the preliminary results on the brown bear population in Romania within the project “Implementation of the National Action Plan for the Conservation of the Brown Bear Population in Romania code SMIS 136899/319056”. After analyzing more than 24,000 samples collected from 25 counties, the authors of this study estimate that between 10,419 and 12,770 brown …

Between 10,419 and 12,770 brown bears live in Romania, according to data from a recent study presented on Thursday by officials from the Ministry of Environment. The study is being carried out as part of the "Project for the Implementation of the National Action Plan for the Conservation of the Brown Bear Population in Romania", Agerpres reports.

Census shows high number of brown bears in Romania

A census of brown bears using DNA for the first time has revealed that up to 13,000 of the protected species are living in Romania, much more than the 8,000 previously estimated, the government announced on Thursday.

Enjoy a tour through historic castles, bike rides through Saxon villages, and bear watching in the Transylvanian wilderness, during this trip filled with happy memories.

The bear population in Europe is growing. In the past there have been dangerous encounters between bears and people in Slovakia and Italy. In April 2025, the Federal Foreign Office updated its safety instructions for Romania. Where hiking fans watch and what they have to observe.