Râșnov aims to become Romania’s second Bear Smart community

Romania Insider · 06.11.2026, 09:15:45

WWF Romania and Râșnov City Hall have launched a partnership to prevent conflicts between people and bears near the Carpathian town, according to a press release. The measures could make Râșnov Romania’s second Bear Smart community after Băile Tușnad. The city has already installed electric fences around vulnerable areas and taken steps to limit bears’ access to food sources. This week, the authorities added ten bear-resistant street bins and five larger containers equipped with unloading systems. The containers were placed in vulnerable areas identified through an analysis conducted by WWF Romania. They are intended to prevent bears from accessing waste, one of the factors that repeatedly attracts the animals into populated areas, the non-profit organization said. “Experience from communities that have invested in prevention shows us that lasting solutions to human-bear conflicts do not begin with intervention, but with removing the causes that attract animals into towns,” stated Cristian-Remus Papp, WWF Romania’s wildlife department coordinator. “Our common objective is to build a Bear Smart community that can become an example of good practice for the entire region.” The partnership also includes plans for an AI-based monitoring and prevention system. Video cameras capable of automatically identifying wildlife species will send real-time alerts, allowing the authorities to respond more quickly when bears approach the town. According to WWF, the system will continuously monitor sensitive areas and support the use of nonlethal methods to drive bears away. Data collected by the cameras will also be used to improve decisions on managing their presence near the community. “Bears are part of Râșnov’s landscape, but their place is in the forest, not on our streets,” mayor Horia Mihai Motrescu said. “That is why we have chosen to address the cause, not just the effects.” “After the electric fences, we have now installed the first bear-resistant containers, and the smart-