A bear mauled a teen to death. Will a cull solve Romania's bear problem?

Bucharest has lifted a moratorium on bear hunting as their population soars. Will hunting help?

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS ElectionUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessWomen at the HelmFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersA bear mauled a Romanian teen to death. Will a cull solve the problem?BBCRomania has overturned a law banning bear hunting, as their population continues to riseOn 9 July, Diana Cazacu, a 19-year-old hiker, was mauled to death by a young female bear in the Bucegi mountains north of Bucharest. In response, the government overturned a 2016 moratorium on bear hunting - and reignited a fierce debate about what to do with Romania's growing bear population, the largest in Europe outside Russia.

The staff at the Salvamont headquarters, Romania’s mountain rescue service, radiate calm and efficiency.

When Diana and her boyfriend rang the emergency number, 112, in panic at 15:00 on 9 July, the call was transferred here.

Sergiu Frusinoiu, in charge that day, set out immediately with two teams. One approached the incident spot from above, the other from below. Bears rarely attack humans, except in self-defence - so Sergiu assumed this would be a simple rescue mission.

At the scene they found the woman’s distraught boyfriend. The bear had grabbed Diana, and thrown her down the ravine. They descended by rope, and found the bear standing over the victim.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8vd26m4r86o

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