Bears: what to know and what to do

The situation, honestly

The Carpathians around Brașov are brown-bear country, and the forest comes right down to the city. Bears are regularly reported on the edges of town — on Tâmpa, in Răcădău and Valea Cetății, around Noua and in Poiana Brașov, where they are drawn by bins and by people who feed them. Encounters that end badly are rare; almost all of them involve food or a bear taken by surprise at close range.

Never feed a bear

Feeding bears is forbidden and it is the root of the problem: a bear that learns people mean food comes back, becomes bold, and usually ends up being shot. Do not throw food from a car, do not leave scraps at a picnic spot, and use closed bins. A roadside bear posing for photos is not a sight; it is a bear that has been ruined.

If you see one

• Keep your distance — never approach for a photo, never get between a mother and cubs.
• Do not run. Stay calm, speak in a low voice and back away slowly, keeping the bear in view.
• In a car, stay in the car, windows up, and drive on.
• In town or near houses, call 112. The authorities and the gendarmerie handle bears in built-up areas.

On the trail

On Tâmpa, the Postăvarul paths and anywhere in the forest: walk in daylight, make some noise as you go, keep dogs on a lead, carry food sealed and take every scrap home. Early morning and dusk are when bears are most active.

RO-Alert

If a bear is spotted in a neighbourhood, the authorities may send an RO-Alert message to every phone in the area. Take it seriously: stay indoors or away from the place named until the all-clear.

Seeing bears the right way

If you want to see bears, go to the Libearty Bear Sanctuary at Zărnești, which rescues bears from captivity, or with a licensed guide to an observation hide, where bears are watched from a distance with a forest ranger.