Romanian president signs bear cull law after legal battle

Romanian President Nicusor Dan signed a law on Monday that allows the preventive shooting of 859 brown bears this year. The move comes after months of legal wrangling, including a constitutional challenge by Dan himself. He had sent the draft law back to parliament in August, but the Constitutional Court rejected his objections.

Quotas and concerns

The legislation, initiated by the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ), was re-adopted by the Chamber of Deputies on 16 September. It also permits the hunting of 110 additional large wild animals as an intervention measure if they threaten human life. Yet some officials warn it’s impossible to meet this year’s quota because the legal dispute left too little time to shoot several hundred animals.

Covasna County prefect Ráduly István said last week that it’s impossible to fulfil the quota due to limited time. In his county, 86 bears should be culled this year, but only 30 have been removed so far. He stressed the law is much needed, as bear numbers and damage have increased significantly. In the first eight months of this year, there were around 300 emergency calls about bears in built-up areas and two bear attacks.

Senator Tánczos Barna, acting deputy prime minister and one of the initiators, explained that the alliance requested nearly a year ago that preventive quotas be doubled for this year and for 2027. He said the step followed a scientific survey confirming bear overpopulation in Romania can only be curbed through more effective intervention. “Immediate action against dangerous bears does not replace broader population control measures,” he said. The law enters into force once published in the official gazette. Romania has Europe’s largest bear population, with an estimated 10,600–12,700 individuals, according to a study.