Please donate now to save them
Brown bears have already been eliminated from most of Europe. Romania was one of the few places where they were holding on.
Now, that could be about to change – violently.
As many as 220 bears across Romania may be shot as part of a planned cull.
However, we have a proven approach that can avoid bears being killed in the sites where we work – bears are only at risk of being shot if they are perceived as posing a threat to humans or their property – those staying in the forest are still safe.
So, if we can use guarding dogs and electric fences to corral livestock and protect properties, we can deter bears from encroaching on human settlements. If a bear is a threat, we can translocate bears to areas where they are less likely to cause problems. That way we can avoid these animals being shot.
But we must act immediately to save them, and we need your help.
By donating today, you’ll help to pay for the cost of protecting any bears that are at risk of wandering too close to urban areas. You’ll also help to fund the implementation of deterrents to help keep bears away from human areas in the long term.
We must act quickly. As you read this, the permits to kill these wonderful animals are being processed. So please, donate today and help stop bears being killed.
© Daniel Mîrlea / Fauna & Flora
£97
Could help pay for a vet to join our relocation team and ensure the health and safety of each bear we save.
£53
Could help buy a cage to transport a bear from human settlements and back to the safety of the forest.
£29
Could help pay for one mission's worth of specialist equipment to track, tranquillise and relocate the bears that are most at risk of being shot.
£18
Could help provide the materials needed to build electric fencing around a shepherd’s field.
Can we stop the bear cull?
There’s no time left to petition. The decision has already been made.
But there’s a ray of hope in the form of Romania’s civil society organisations who are tirelessly working to support communities living alongside bears without the need to resort to lethal control.
We’re confident that – over time – they will stop these bears being needlessly killed. This gives us real long-term hope.
But that won’t save these bears over the next few months. As you read this, the paperwork is moving through to pave the way for many of these animals to be killed.
Additionally, by the time spring arrives, bears will have become extremely hungry and are much more likely to approach human settlements.
If we don’t have protection in place by then, far too many bears will perish needlessly, and it will be too late to help those that have already lost their lives.
That’s why we need your donations as soon as possible.
Three legged bear who lost a leg to snaring © Daniel Mîrlea
A wild three-legged bear that lost a limb to a snare, but managed to recover - a sign of the ongoing conflict. Most bears that fall victim aren't so lucky.
What is Fauna & Flora doing to save brown bears from the cull?
Fauna & Flora is working alongside farmers and local communities in Romania to prevent deadly human-wildlife conflict and help to ensure local people can coexist peacefully with brown bears.
We are also working alongside appropriate authorities to relocate any bears that are in danger of causing problems, as this could put a target on their back.
But we need your help.
What do we need?
Relocation teams need a constant supply of tranquilliser darts, bear spray, fuel, cages and vet supplies to ensure that they’re ready to help any bears in danger.
We also need to purchase specialist livestock-guarding dogs that can help to deter bears from farmers’ land, keeping them safe from potential human retaliation.
In addition, we want to purchase electric fencing that will prevent bears from accessing farmers’ land and killing livestock. This would, in turn, stop the anticipatory killing of bears.
Once these measures are in place, brown bears will be safe to roam freely and without fear.
Carpathian sheepdog puppy. © Daniel Mîrlea / Fauna & Flora
Donations are critically important for purchasing livestock-guarding dogs that could put an end to the needless killing of brown bears.
How could my donation save brown bears?
If we’re going to scale up our work to help protect brown bears in Romania, we urgently need your support. Your donation could help buy more livestock-guarding dogs and vital fencing so that we can protect farmers’ land, putting an end to the poisoning and poaching of brown bears by livestock owners.
Your donation could also fund staff training, allowing them to carry out crucial work alongside local communities, and helping to ensure sustainable practices are used to keep critically important brown bear habitats safe from destruction.
Why Fauna & Flora?
As the world’s oldest international conservation organisation, Fauna & Flora has over 120 years of experience working to protect threatened species, including over 20 years of supporting conservation in Romania alone.
In order to see brown bear populations flourish across Europe, our understanding of local communities and our extensive experience working alongside them will be invaluable. But your support is essential.
Please donate now, and together we could save these beautiful beasts.
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