The man died after being attacked by a bear in one of Romania’s most scenic mountainous regions.
The victim on the motorcycle stopped at a popular tourist spot on Transfergara Sun Road Tuesday morning, authorities said.
The bear dragged him into the steep valley at a drop of about 80 meters (262 feet), they added.
“Unfortunately, when we arrived he was already dead,” Ion Sanduloiu, head of the Arges County Mountain Rescue Service, told the BBC.
“The injury was very serious. Even if he was wearing a helmet and full protective gear, that wasn’t enough.”
Sanduloiu said the victim parked his bike next to a sign that warned the bears not to feed them.
“My advice is simple: don’t stop, don’t feed, keep the distance,” he added.
The animals have not yet been euthanized, officials said. An investigation into the incident is underway.
Romania has the largest brown bear population in the European Union.
In recent years, human encounters have been on the rise, and some fatal incidents have prompted calls for investment in clearer regulations and prevention strategies.
A recent genetic population study conducted by the Romanian Ministry of the Environment estimates that the country’s brown bear populations range between 10,400 and 12,800.
Former Environment Minister Mircea Fechet considered the optimal sustainable population to be around 4,000 bears. It is about one-third of the current estimate.
Fechet proposes simplification methods to allow local governments to take more immediate action, including the ability to euthanize bears entering residential areas.
The ministry also plans to introduce a risk zone map to better manage bear populations to balance conservation efforts with public safety.
Conservationists say death reflects deeper structural problems in Romania’s wildlife management.
Gabriel Powun, founder of Green, the environmental NGO, which campaigns against wildlife conservation and illegal logging, said the issue was mismanagement rather than overexcess.
“The repeated tragedy on the Transfergalasan road is the result of multiple failures. Tourists have stopped interacting with wildlife and local governments have not done enough to bring the bears back into the forest. In particular, the Ministry of the Environment said it cannot properly implement a national plan for the coexistence of wildlife and humans.
Paun said the bear population has been threatened by “climate change, habitat destruction and human persecution,” adding that Romania has become a “significant destination” for international trophy hunters.
Sanduloiu believes that even stronger deterrent is needed.
“In my opinion, the solution is simple. They are sentenced to fines and prison sentences for those who stop feeding bears,” he said.
