Average Romanian bike ride

Romania has one of Europe’s largest brown bear populations, with a 2025 genetic study estimating between 10,419 and 12,770 bears. Most live throughout the Carpathian Mountains, where forests provide extensive habitat.

Bear encounters have become a major issue, with animals increasingly entering villages, roads, farms, and tourist areas, sometimes searching for food. Feeding bears by tourists can also make them accustomed to humans.

The encounters can be dangerous: over the past two decades, bears have killed 26 people and seriously injured 274 in Romania. The government has therefore increased intervention measures while conservationists argue for better prevention and habitat management.

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