A tourist narrowly avoided being attacked by a brown bear on Romania's scenic Transfăgărășan mountain road after failing to notice the animal approaching from behind. The incident, captured on video by another visitor, has since gone viral on social media.

The footage shows the man standing by the roadside and most likely looking at his phone while the bear walks up behind him.

The animal comes within a few centimetres of the tourist and is seen sniffing his leg while the man remains unaware of its presence. He only realizes the danger after the bear moves into his field of vision, prompting him to run to his car, with the animal briefly following him.

Romania is home to one of Europe's largest brown bear populations. According to preliminary results of a study released by the Ministry of Environment in April 2025, the total is estimated at between 10,419 and 12,770 animals.

Thus, bear sightings are common in Romania's mountain regions, including along the Transfăgărășan, where some animals have become accustomed to approaching tourists who feed them despite repeated warnings from authorities not to do so. Authorities have repeatedly urged visitors to keep their distance from bears, warning that feeding wildlife is illegal and can put both people and animals at risk.

Several tourists have been injured, and some have been killed, in recent years after stopping to photograph or feed bears along Romania's famous mountain road.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: screenshot from Observator video on Facebook)