73-year-old motorcyclist bitten by bear on Romania’s famous Transfăgărășan road

A 73-year-old motorcyclist was bitten by a bear on the famous Transfăgărășan mountain road on Saturday, August 23, according to the Argeș County Police Inspectorate.

The incident took place in the Valea lui Stan area, on the road section between Poenari Fortress and Vidraru Dam. According to the police, the man “stopped on the road due to heavy traffic. At that moment, a bear on the roadside allegedly bit him on the right calf.”

A medical crew provided medical care to the man, who had a scratched wound on his right leg. He refused to be transported to the hospital.

This is not the first time that bear encounters have become violent on the mountain road, especially as the animals have gotten used to tourists giving them food, despite the authorities’ repeated calls to avoid any contact with the wild animals.

Back in July, a motorcyclist was killed by a bear on the Transfăgărășan, near a hotel at the Vidraru dam. The man, an Italian citizen, had gotten off his bike to feed and photograph the animal, according to details from the investigation. The wild animal, a female, was identified and shot, leaving behind three bear cubs. Only one was found and taken to a reservation.

After the incident, environment minister Diana Buzoianu announced plans to toughen penalties for individuals who feed wild bears.

Romania is home to between 10,419 and 12,770 brown bears, according to the preliminary results of a study published by the Environment Ministry, although the figure was contested by environmental activists. Last year, following the death of a 19-year-old hiker, the Romanian parliament held an emergency session and voted to allow 481 bears to be hunted per year, more than doubling the previous quota.

Romania’s problems with the bears were recently highlighted in a feature published by The New York Times. “Politicians and ecologists disagree on how to reduce the danger. Some officials, especially in rural counties, are demanding an end to the hunting ban. Conservationists argue that the problem is caused by humans, including tour guides who lead people right to the bears,” the article highlights.