Latest news with #Arges
Daily Mail
04-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Tourist is dragged into a ravine and killed by bear after posing for selfie with its cub in Romania
A motorcyclist was mauled to death by a bear in Romania on Thursday after posing for a selfie with its cub. Italian tourist Omar Farang Zin, 49, was riding on his motorbike along the Carpathian Mountains in the central region of Arges when a vicious bear attacked him and dragged his body down a ravine. Police and emergency services said in a joint statement that tourists had alerted them to yesterday's attack, and after an hour of searching for him, they found Omar's lifeless body. Just a day before the tragic incident, the motorcyclist had posted a series of pictures on Facebook of a large bear which appears to be stood extremely close to Omar. He also shared a selfie posing with a bear cub, in which he can be seen smiling, blissfully unaware of his tragic fate. A separate video taken by Omar shows him riding his motorcycle as he drives past a bear perched on the side of the road. 'Here's the bear!', he can be heard saying. 'How beautiful. It's coming towards me'. Romanian authorities later confirmed that the bear had been put down. Omar, a travel-enthusiast, had been working for Milan Malpensa airport just before his death, according to Italian media. Dozens of friends have taken to Facebook to pay tribute to him. 'Goodbye Omar, I will always remember you with a smile', one friend wrote. Another said: 'Omar was a great man, he didn't have to go this way'. One pal described Omar as 'everyone's friend because everyone loved you'. The tourist's horrific death is the latest bear-related fatality in Romania. Last year, a teenage girl was killed in a violent bear attack after the enraged animal dragged her away and dropped her 330ft down a cliff while she went hiking with her boyfriend. The 19-year-old was hiking in the Bucegi mountains in central Romania last July when she was savaged by the bear in front of her horrified partner. According to her boyfriend, the bear first grabbed the teen's leg and hauled her off the path before throwing her down the cliff. When rescuers arrived on the scene, they found the snarling beast circling her body. Romania has a brown bear population of 10,000 to 13,000, preliminary results of a multi-year DNA study showed this year, and authorities are struggling to keep residents and tourists in mountain towns safe. Almost 30 people have been killed by bears in Romania over the last two decades, according to the environment ministry. Sightings of bears are common and local media regularly report bear attacks on people and livestock. Last year, Romania's parliament doubled the annual bear kill quota to 481 bear kills per year to control the size of the bear population and to remove animals that have become accustomed to entering cities in search of food. Wildlife experts have said bear attacks have increased because of human behaviour as the shrinking of the animals' habitats due to construction, logging and climate change. Many bears are also attracted by rubbish dumps on the outskirts of cities and by discarded food.
The Independent
03-07-2025
- The Independent
Bear drags motorcyclist down ravine and mauls him to death
A motorcyclist has been mauled to death by a bear in Romania 's Carpathian Mountains, emergency service officials have confirmed. The incident on Thursday marks the latest fatal attack in a country grappling with the European Union's largest brown bear population, estimated at 10,000 to 13,000 by a recent DNA study. Romanian authorities have long been struggling to keep residents and tourists safe in mountain towns. Police and emergency services issued a joint statement, saying tourists alerted them to Thursday's attack on the Transfagarasan road in the central county of Arges. The bear had reportedly dragged the motorcyclist down a ravine. There were no details provided about the identity of the motorcyclist. Nearly 30 people have been killed by bears in Romania over the past two decades, the environment ministry has said. Sightings of bears are common and local media regularly report bear attacks on people and livestock. In 2024, Romania's parliament doubled the annual bear kill quota to 481 per year. The move was taken to control the size of the bear population and to remove animals that have become accustomed to entering cities in search of food. It came just a week after a 19-year-old hiker died after she was attacked by a bear on a popular trail in the Carpathian mountains in central Romania. The teenager called emergency services as she was attacked. Her boyfriend told local search and rescue teams that they were being chased by a bear. 'She was terrified... you can tell, she was screaming: 'The bear is getting closer and closer!'' Dan Banu, head of Salvamont Prahova, told local media. 'Everything happened live, the 112 dispatcher was on the phone and the young man was shouting that they were being attacked by a bear and that he had taken the girl. It was something terrible!' Mr Banu continued. 'He told us that the bear grabbed the girl by one leg and was dragging her after he and, at some point, he didn't see what he did with her. The bear dragged her from the path and threw her 120 meters into the valley.' Just a few months prior, a 72-year-old Scottish tourist was mauled by a bear in Arges county after rolling down her car window to take a photo with the animal. Wildlife experts have said bear attacks have increased because of human behaviour as the shrinking of the animals' habitats due to construction, logging and climate change. Many bears are also attracted by rubbish dumps on the outskirts of cities and by discarded food. Officials have not done enough to step up prevention measures, including electric fences and better trash management, wildlife experts said.
