Three tourists injured by bears on Romania’s famous Transfăgărășan mountain road in one day
Three people were injured by bears in two separate attacks on the Transfăgărășan high-altitude road on Monday, June 8. The victims endangered themselves by approaching the bear, despite numerous official warnings and even fines, Stirileprotv.ro reported.
The first victims were two Portuguese spouses, aged 62 and 53, who wanted to take a photograph with the wild animal. The woman reportedly opened the window and stuck her head out, while the man wanted to capture the image. In a fraction of a second, the bear attacked her. Desperate to save his wife, her partner intervened.
The two then drove to the hospital. The man had deep wounds on his right forearm, and the woman had wounds on her back.
The same day, an 18-year-old woman from Ukraine was attacked in the same place. The bear bit her legs and caused deep wounds. While trying to escape, the girl fell and also injured one of her hands. After the attack, the girl was taken by her friends to the reception of a hotel. Although she did not speak Romanian or English, the employees immediately realized what had happened.
Shortly afterward, an SMURD crew arrived in the area and took her to a hospital. Authorities suspect the woman broke the rules and tried to interact with the bear.
“Initially, she said that she was driving slowly with the window slightly open, eating an apple, and the bear rushed to take the apple. But the wounds she has do not appear to fit that sequence of events. Most likely, she had gotten out of the car. There is no way the bear could have bitten her leg if she had been sitting in the seat inside the car,” said Mihai Coman, a representative of the Vidraru Forestry District, cited by Stirileprotv.ro.
The two attacks took place in the same area of the Transfăgărășan, near the locality of Arefu in Argeș County, which has become famous for bear sightings. Hotel owners in the area reportedly say tourists buy trout from the restaurant and then throw it to the bears, despite it being illegal and potentially leading to the bears being shot.
Nine victims of bear attacks have been recorded since the beginning of 2026, eight of whom were foreign tourists, according to the same media report. Some fed the wild animals, and others wanted to take photographs with them.
To reduce such incidents, authorities raised the maximum fine for feeding the bears to RON 30,000 (EUR 5,700). Mixed patrols of gendarmes and representatives of the Forestry District also patrol the Transfăgărășan.
Romanian authorities noted in response to the attacks that it is forbidden for tourists and drivers to stop and attempt to feed or photograph the bears. In the event of a direct encounter, specialists advise people not to run or make sudden movements, but to move away calmly. Any sighting of a bear near roads or settlements must be reported immediately to the single emergency number 112, so that the authorities can issue RO-Alert messages and intervene.
Last month, a bear managed to enter a hotel in the popular mountain resort of Poiana Brașov, causing panic among employees. No one was injured. Authorities had to shoot another bear in the city of Brașov after the animal repeatedly entered urban areas and showed no fear of people.
Romania is home to a large population of brown bears. According to preliminary results from an April 2025 study by the Ministry of Environment, the country’s brown bear population is estimated at between 10,419 and 12,770 animals. In this context, bear sightings are not uncommon in mountain areas in Romania, including popular destinations such as the Transfăgărășan road.
(Photo source: Inquam Photos/George Calin)
