A bear attacked a shepherd last night near a sheepfold in the Leser-Papusa massif, part of the Fagaras Mountains in central Romania, Agerpres agency reported, quoted by BTA.
A helicopter of the SMURD Mobile Emergency Medical Service from the city of Brasov was called to help, the Arges County Mountain Rescue Service reported. They added that rescuers also arrived at the scene of the incident and began lowering the victim from the mountain.
The shepherd was bitten on the back and may have fractures in his lower limbs.
This is the latest case of a bear attack in Romania. Last week, a shepherd was attacked and injured by a bear in the Zupania Mountains in central southern Romania.
Earlier this month, an Italian motorcyclist died after being attacked by a bear on Romania's most famous mountain road, the Transfagarasan.
Romania is home to the largest population of brown bears in the EU. Incidents are increasingly common in a number of the country's mountainous and forested areas, and local residents have been demanding a solution to the problem for years. In 2021, the Romanian government adopted an emergency regulation that regulates the ways to intervene in situations where bears reach populated areas. Shooting is only envisaged if there is a danger to people and their property. In July 2024, following a fatal bear attack in a national park in Romania, parliament adopted additional measures that expanded the hunting quota.
There are between 10,419 and 12,770 brown bears living in Romania, with an optimal population of 4,000, former Minister of Environment, Water and Forestry Mircea Fechet recently announced.