Poland’s president Karol Nawrocki adopted a rescued bear during his visit to Romania for the Bucharest Nine (B9) Summit this week, Mediafax reported. The bear, now named Batyr, lives at the Libearty Bear Sanctuary near the town of Zărnești.

The announcement was first made on social media by Marcin Przydacz, a senior adviser on foreign policy to the Polish president.

“Romania is the country with the largest number of bears in the European Union. Today, a bear was adopted. By whom? By the president of Poland,” the Polish official said on X, sharing another post by photographer Mikołaj Bujak.

Rumunia to kraj z największą liczbą niedźwiedzi w Unii Europejskiej.

Dziś jeden miś 🐻 został adoptowany. Przez kogo? Przez Prezydenta Polski. 🇵🇱 https://t.co/cSQqr4yNjZ

— Marcin Przydacz (@marcin_przydacz) May 14, 2026

Representatives of the Libearty Bear Sanctuary later confirmed the news and said the visit by Karol Nawrocki marked the first time a sitting head of state had visited the sanctuary in Zărnești. The organization stated that Nawrocki’s decision to travel to the sanctuary during his visit to Romania and symbolically adopt the rescued bear Batyr represented international recognition of the center’s work in animal protection, rescue, and public education on wildlife welfare.

"Our sanctuary is not only about rescue and care, but also about education, awareness, and change. Every day, we try to teach people what respect for animals means, how important compassion and responsibility are, and how much harm human indifference can cause. The visit of a head of state who understood and appreciated this mission sends a powerful message beyond borders," reads the message shared on social media.

Romanian environmental organization Agent Green also shared images from Karol Nawrocki’s visit to the sanctuary on Facebook, confirming the bear adoption. According to the NGO, the Polish president traveled from Bucharest to Brașov and then to Zărnești to visit the sanctuary, one of Europe’s best-known animal protection projects.

The video shared by Agent Green shows the Polish leader stopping to pet a dog on his way to the sanctuary.

Poland's Karol Nawrocki and Romanian president Nicușor Dan co-hosted the B9 Summit in Bucharest on Wednesday, May 13. The event was also attended by NATO secretary general Mark Rutte, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, and representatives of the United States as observers.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Facebook/AMP - Sanctuar Libearty & Adapost Victory)