Please donate now to save them
Brown bears have already been eliminated from most of Europe. Romania was one of the few places they were holding on.
Now, that could be about to change – violently.
As many as 220 bears across Romania will be shot as part of a planned cull.
However, we have a proven approach that can avoid the cull in the sites where we work – a bear is at risk of being culled if it wanders too close to human settlements – those staying in the forest are still safe.
So, if we can relocate any bears who are increasingly approaching urban and inhabited areas and discourage them from doing so again, 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 relocating any bears who are 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 the cull.
© 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, tranquilise and relocate the bears who 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 a new Minister of Environment in Romania, who is far more sympathetic towards bears than their predecessor.
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 have so many of these animals killed.
Additionally, when spring rolls around, bears 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 for those who have already lost their lives it won’t matter whether or not the new Minister of Environment tries to help them.
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 who lost a limb to a snare, but managed to recover - a sign of the ongoing conflict. Most bears who 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 who 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 tranquillizer 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 who can help to deter bears from farmer’s 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.
Romania sheep dog 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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