The Bear Necessities of Strife

Originally published in the Brasov Visitor (now-defunct).

It’s official - Brasov County has an overpopulation of Brown Bears. 37 too many to be exact. So what do you do with three dozen large, hairy and hostile predators? That’s the quandry facing local government, environmentalists, hunters and forestry experts. The surfeit of bears has meant taking a fresh look at the local bear quota; the current legal hunting number is 20. But, on August 6 this year, a request was issued by the Prefecture of Brasov County, the Hunters and Anglers Association and the Forestry Institute for the re-assessment of the County bear quota. Arguing that the area’s biological balance is being disrupted by the 80 bears roaming the forests surrounding the city, the Prefecture is requesting either that the hunting number is increased to 37, or that some of the animals are relocated.

The cull controversy

Serban Negus of the Brasov-based Forest Research Institute contends ‘our bear population is well above its natural level, and it is increasing far too fast.’ There are varying estimates for Romania’s bear population, most figures placing it in the region of 5,000 to 6,000. Biologists insist that 4,000 is the practical limit. So, Mr. Negus is not the only conservationist convinced that a bear cull is the answer. It may sound cold-hearted and extreme, but the practice is relatively routine in countries like Canada to halt any sharp rises in dominant populations.

And it wouldn’t be the first time that such ruthless resolution was mooted. In October 2004, after a series of lethal rabid-bear attacks, Brasov mayor, George Scripcaru declared ‘these scavengers must be killed immediately before another attack happens – there is no other solution.’ So real were his threats that an online petition was established to prevent a cull.

The plight of the Brasov bear has received moderate international attention, often reflecting negatively on Romania’s relationship with what ought to be its prized asset. In the last few months alone publications such as The Globe and Mail (Canada) and The Times (England), together with US broadcaster MSNBC have all reported on antagonistic, man-bear relations in Brasov. Growing evidence that the stand-off is becoming more tense.

Feast or famine

Brasov’s current predicament is in stark contrast to Central Europe and even parts of Asia where Brown Bear populations are effectively extinct. In 2006 Germany became home to its first brown bear in 170 years (and may well be waiting 170 more to see another since he was promptly shot by hunters). Switzerland, too, spotted a bear recently, its first in over a century. They are keen to welcome more, while Italy, Austria and France have all gone to great expense in introducing widespread re-settlement projects.

Such projects could provide a solution for Brasov. Indeed Italy’s policy of importing bears from Slovenia is now a key factor in the bear debate. Worldwide, re-homing bears is becoming a very popular, biologically sustainable method of boosting regional bear populations. But, Brasov’s options for relocation are limited and some of the blame for this must fall on the local human population. Many of the present problems do not stem simply from too many bears; it is that they are nuisance bears.

Bears behaving badly

Exploitative and intrusive human activity has effectively established a new species of bear in Brasov; ‘binmen’ bears. And the reality of Ursus Delinquintus is far less romantic than the fabled Brown Bear. By deliberately enticing the bears into the city with a tempting smorgasbord of fresh garbage left out for easy grazing, and by merely regarding the bears as a cute tourist attraction, local people have unwittingly totally modified the natural instincts of the bears.

Apparently the problem dates back to the 70s, when Brasov first established its tourist credentials. The mountains with their resident bears, were its core selling-point. Bears remain somewhat unique to Romania, which is why hunters are so eager to bag them. In fact, after Ceausecu and Dracula, bears are the country’s most famous ‘residents’. During the Ceausescu days, they were hunted almost exclusively by his friends and family. Eliminating rivals perhaps?

Now Brasov is paying the price. Just recently, a 20 year-old man was mauled by a bin-bound bear while sleeping on a park bench in the city. And, on the 15th May this year, a wandering bear and her cub halted downtown traffic for two hours. Attempts have been made to relocate delinquent bears to remote, sparsely populated locales which provide enough food to ensure they are no longer tempted to return to the cities.

No thank you

The stark reality is that the creation of this nuisance species has effectively eliminated the possibility of an export market. Nobody wants to bring in bears that will spend half their time in towns and cities rooting through your garbage. When you want them to head for the hills, they’ll stroll right back into towns for easy pickings. For this reason, plans to relocate Romania’s excess bears in Central Europe have not met with success. Which could leave hunting as the only answer

Luring the hunters

Bears were, relatively speaking, quite secure during the Ceausescu dictatorship. Stringent anti-hunting laws were put in place to ensure there were always enough to sustain his hunting parties. His bloodthirsty bear-hoarding was actually a successful method of controlling their numbers. Nowadays, without Ceausescu and his Commie cronies, there just aren’t enough hunters to go around. But this is all about to change, thanks to a potentially savvy piece of business by the Romanian government; one of the few in Europe to legally and systematically promote bear-hunting licenses in problem areas. Aside from Russia, it is the only place in Europe worth even trying to go on a bear hunt. Throw in wolves and lynxes and you can see why the Romanian government are so keen, and uniquely positioned, to market their talismanic beasts.

In the absence of viable alternatives, hunting becomes a strange twist on eco-tourism, a lucrative cocktail of poaching and preservation. 333 bear licenses were sold last year, each bear going for between $15,000 and $23,000. Naturally, these are quite popular with Central European hunters. The problem is; it just isn’t enough. Even if the government succeeded in selling all available permits (which they don’t) there would still be a bear glut in Romania and Brasov.

More licenses could resolve the ‘bin-bear’ issue, provide valuable income and deliver the added benefits of offering security and sustainability for bear habitats at home and abroad. Naturally hunters at home and abroad are drooling over the possibility of lifting the restrictions. However Romania’s hands are tied somewhat since joining the EU, and their handling of the situation is forever under scrutiny. In recent years, high-profile figures have been critical of Romania’s policies, such as Jacques Chirac. Yet Western Europeans need to remember that bears kill, even whilst they may long for a bear population of their very own.

Humans vs. the wild

Romanians do not contemplate a cull of their iconic animal without reluctance. But it has now come down to a choice between bears and security, especially when a city encroaches on wild bear territory. After 40 years of mismanagement, culls and resettlement programmes alone will not guarantee safety. Further measures, such as electric fences, have been proposed. The Iron Curtain has come down, but the electric fence could soon be a feature of the Brasov forests.