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In the past, huge forests covered much of Europe with large
populations of brown bears, wolves and wild cats such
as the lynx. Today, Romania's forests support the largest
concentration of wild carnivores in Europe with over a third
of its largest predators, including an estimated 5000 brown
bears, 3000 wolves and 2000 lynx. The wilderness also has
high concentrations of deer and wild boar.
The Bear Facts
Few animals are as enigmatic as the bear, which has captured
the imagination of people for thousands of years. The brown
bear is the most widespread bear in the world, found in
Europe, Asia and the Americas. Bears are foragers, mostly
eating berries, roots and nuts, but will eat anything they
can get their paws on. If you are hiking in the forests or
even wandering around Brasov at night you've got a
good chance of seeing them. It is becoming increasingly common
to see bears rummaging around on the outskirts of Brasov city
in the bins outside housing apartments. As in other areas
around the world attempts are being made to keep the bears
away from humans - for their safety not ours.
Cry wolf
The wolf is the second largest predator in Hungary and like
the bear, has a long history of interaction with humans. The
image of the wolf is often negative, especially among communities
that suffer livestock losses; but the relationship is an ancient
one for example the feral babes of Romulus and Remus, the
founders of ancient Rome who legend claims were raised by
wild wolves. Hunting and trapping remains the major factor
in the wolf's demise in Europe.
Amazingly, Romania's wolves have been known to try their luck
on horses in winter; by playing dead in the fields, they wait
for an inquisitive horse to pass by, attacking the horse by
the muzzle. Once the wolf has a firm hold, the rest of the
pack join in. Wolves are elusive and although you may well
hear their eerie howls, sightings are fairly rare.
The lynx factor
The third big predator that seems to thrive in the Romanian
countryside is the Lynx, a big cat that few people have seen
or even know about despite its relatively wide dispersal around
the world. This is a mixed blessing; the public are not as
interested in the Lynx as they are in the wolf or bear, but
Romanian farmers still hunt the lynx and see it as a threat
to livestock. In all other European Lynx populations they
are protected throughout the year.
Unfortunately the pristine Transylvanian wilderness and its
inhabitants are under threat. Economic pressures in Romania
and increasing hunting is threatening the Carpathian Ecosystems.
In response to growing concerns the Carpathian Large Carnivore
Project (CLCP) was set up in 1993 in Zarnesti and has
been studying animals in the Brasov region including the Ciucas,
Bucegi, and Piatra Craiului ranges. The Piatra National Park
is the focus of the project and a good place to spot some
of Romania's wildest carnivores. |
