A Bulgarian tourist was injured after being attacked by a bear in Romania’s Southern Carpathian Mountains, marking another serious human-bear encounter in the region within days of a fatal bear incident on Bulgaria’s Vitosha Mountain.
The attack occurred near the Vidraru Dam on Romania’s famous Transfăgărășan road. According to Romanian and Bulgarian media reports, a group of tourists stopped their vehicle and approached a bear accompanied by a cub.
Moments later, the animal charged the car and attacked a 46-year-old Bulgarian man through an open window. Witnesses captured the incident on video.
The victim, Georgi Bizhev from Gorna Oryahovitsa, later described the terrifying encounter, saying the bear smashed through the vehicle’s window and attempted to pull him out of the car. He suffered injuries that are expected to require several months of recovery.
The incident comes shortly after a fatal bear attack on Vitosha Mountain near Sofia, where a man was killed in what authorities described as Bulgaria’s first deadly bear attack in more than a decade.
The tragedy prompted warnings from officials and renewed discussions about bear safety in popular mountain areas.
Romania is home to one of Europe’s largest brown bear populations, and authorities have repeatedly warned tourists not to feed or approach wild bears. Experts say many attacks occur when bears become accustomed to receiving food from people or when they perceive a threat to their cubs.
The latest attack has reignited concerns over increasing encounters between humans and bears across the Balkans, with wildlife authorities in both Romania and Bulgaria urging visitors to maintain a safe distance from wild animals and strictly follow safety guidelines in mountain regions.
Sources: Radio Bulgaria (BNR), Novinite, BNT News, Informat.ro, Reuters (materials from Reuters covering other bear attacks in the area over the past years).
