Photo by TJ

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The Brown Bear (ursus arctos arctos L.)

The Brown Bear is the biggest mammal present in Transylvania, land which shelters the most numerous, dense and powerful population in the whole European habitat of the species. In fact, more than a half of Europe’s Brown Bear population, except Russia, is found in the Carpathians and Sub-Carpathians of Transylvania and is approx. counted with less or much more than 6000 specimens (2019).

Although it was strictly protected species by International Conventions; European Directives and National Laws, the population surplus of approx.450 specimens/year, must be harvested (until May 2016). The main reasons was to prevent the overpopulation; the occurrence of damage to human activity and to avoid homicide accidents.

In the fall of 2016 new regulations and laws has been applied and they totally forbidden the brown bear hunts, there wasn’t stated a strong reason about this decision. Not long time after, the governments and its component authorities has allowed special hunting permit only for the dangerous specimens which their damages has been registered by the competent authorities (attacks to the kettles, sheep, farms, villages and people).

In present Brown bear hunts are extremely limited, the only methods of hunt being waiting and stalking only for the problem bears without season restrictions, but special authorization required.

The world records for both skin and skull is held by Romania with skin of 687 CIC points from 1985 and skull of 70.01 CIC points from 2015.

Update (2023):

Brown Bear hunting is restricted. Only the dangerous bears can be hunted with no hunting season restriction, by stalking or waiting hunting methods and can be done only by local authorities.

Observations for brown bear can be successfully organized between 15th of March until 15th of December.
For more details please contact us.