The Loveable Beast

Few animals capture the imagination quite like European brown bears. They can stand on two legs, walk on the soles of their feet, pick things up with their “fingers,” and often eat what we eat. This, coupled with their ability to communicate with one another through scratch marks left on trees, smells and sounds, establishes a similarity to our own way of life.

European brown bears can reach towering sizes of just over 7ft (2.20m) weighing between 100-350kg, although they are smaller than North American ‘big browns’ on the Alaskan coast, who can grow up to 8ft tall and 540kg! Despite being Europe’s largest carnivore, they are incredibly fast and can run at speeds of 30mph (48.2kph) in addition to being great tree climbers. Being the most widely distributed bear in the world, proves this unique species is opportunistic and adapts to its environment.

What do brown bears eat?

Their diet varies depending on the season and includes grass, roots, berries, apples and nuts, plums, as well as insects, carrion, and mammals and, of course, honey. Brown bears usually forage in the morning and evening, and rest under dense vegetation during the day.

Are brown bears dangerous?

In short, yes bears can be dangerous, but it must be stated they instinctively avoid humans and only attack if they feel threaten. Brown bears do not prey on humans, they are naturally wary of us, so encounters are rare. If you ever visit an area populated by bears it is vitally important you learn and respect their behaviours. For instance, a bear standing tall on its hind legs indicates curiosity of its surroundings and not a threat of attack. Therefore, avoid surprising and distressing bears by making your presence felt calmly, bear in mind (no pun intended), they have poor eyesight so speaking softly and remaining calm is advised.

Threats - Habitat Loss

Romania's brown bears have fallen prey to poaching, loss of habitat due to illegal logging and other conflicts with rural communities who view them as a pest. Illegal logging is not only guilty of destroying the bears habitat but sends bears away from the forests because of the noise. In addition to deforestation, the growth of human settlements, agricultural land and transportation infrastructure in the Carpathian Mountains have all contributed to the changing behaviours and movements of Romania’s brown bear population.  

Threats - Negative Press and Political Exacerbation

The 3 fatal attacks that occurred between October and November 2019 hit the headlines hard and have since whipped up a frenzy of negative media attention for brown bears in the region. Instead of providing objective accounts of attacks or actively engaging in preventative actions such as educating the public on safety measures, media reports stoke the fire of fear for local people. This, along with inaction from the government, prompted some villagers to take matters into their own hands by preparing homemade poisons. A study released in the journal Nature on large carnivore attacks discovered brown bears receive the most media coverage worldwide, even if they’re not the most common attacks. Most of these incidents came from encounters with female bears and her cubs. It is, therefore, clear to see how the mainstream media has portrayed the situation unfavourably for bears, one which is compounded by some local politicians who have declared war on ‘problem bears’. Some of Romania’s county leaders, who are spearheading the movement to reinstate the culling of bears, say populations are growing exponentially, a claim disputed widely by Romanian scientists.

2. Education and Effective Management Strategies

As previously mentioned, informing the public on how to prevent and, if needed, act during confrontations with brown bears is paramount to improving coexistence. This includes better management of attractants for bears: making waste inaccessible; protecting livestock using dogs; and placing agricultural products within electric fences, to name a few potential solutions. Several NGOs are urgently working to provide support to local people as the government frustrates those concerned. One effective initiative set up by Carpathian European Wilderness Reserve replaces livestock that farmers lose to bears which addresses the painfully slow bureaucratic state process.

Scientific research should also be at the forefront of policy making and management strategies. One such example where research findings have contradicted existing methods is the case of relocating bears by means of luring them to food sources then trapping and relocating. Empirical evidence strongly recommends stopping the feeding of bears as once they are ‘food-conditioned’, they are more likely to return.

Further research that brings to light people’s perceptions of coexistence found that factors such as perceived risk of conflict and perceived bear population growth had the greatest influence. The same study also concludes long-term coexistence will be better achieved in people with positive attitudes and values towards nature. Thus, this stresses the power the media possesses and the importance of education in creating successful coexistence and conservation outcomes.   

4. Rewilding

Rewilding focuses on re-establishing lost elements of the wilderness and in doing so, brings back opportunities for wildlife to exist sustainably. Some of the missing functionality of nature that is returned by rewilding include predation, grazing, regeneration and decomposition. Not only would Brown bears benefit from rewilding through improved habitat and food stability but they would also serve the whole ecosystem in their role as a keystone species.