This early summer, I had the opportunity to visit Mihai Pop in Romania as part of our ongoing efforts to understand better human–bear coexistence in the Carpathians. Our discussions focused on the challenges of bear management, especially the issue of food-conditioned bears; individuals that look for anthropogenic food resources in villages or along roadsides. These bears often generate significant conflict, raising complex management and ethical questions.
During my visit, I accompanied Mihai on fieldwork that included conducting interviews with shepherds across different counties. These conversations provide valuable insight into local attitudes toward bears and other large carnivores. While traditional pastoralism is visibly declining in the Romanian Carpathians, livestock is still a present component of the landscape. Importantly, traditions that enable coexistence remain; most herds are guarded by shepherds, several livestock guarding dogs, and are secured in nighttime enclosures.
We travelled to various locations, including Prahova, Covasna, Vrancea, Vâlcea, and the majestic Făgăraș Mountains, where we spotted 12 bears along the road. This included two females with cubs, as well as solitary young individuals and others not so young. Although the presence of bears near human infrastructure is still unresolved, many adaptations to this type of situation are visible. For instance, in Băile Tușnad in Harghita County, some residents protect their houses and restaurants with electric fences to deter bears from entering their properties and to prevent the further conditioning of wild individuals.
This visit has been an enriching experience: full of history, direct engagement with local communities, and countless stories of life alongside large carnivores. These narratives outline the challenges and the resilience of those living and working in bear country.
In the coming months, we will begin synthesizing the insights gathered during this trip and previous meetings into preliminary analyses. The ultimate goal is that these will inspire future research projects and conservation efforts aimed at improving bear management strategies and fostering coexistence, not just between humans and bears, but also among stakeholders with differing visions of what that coexistence should look like.
Thanks so much once more, Mihai, for your hospitality and dedication throughout the visit! And many thanks as well to the Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, for the financial support that made this visit possible.
By Carlos Bautista