The likelihood of encountering a brown bear in Hungary is almost negligible — though not entirely impossible. That much is borne out by the sighting of a large specimen in Aggtelek National Park on Saturday morning. Meanwhile, in Transylvania, fatal bear attacks have become a grim regularity, prompting locals to seek ministerial approval to cull the animals.
Another bear sighting in Hungary
Although bears are exceedingly rare in Hungary, it is not unheard of for individuals to wander across from neighbouring Slovakia’s forests and mountains, occasionally settling for a time in the northern reaches of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén or Nógrád counties. This appears to be what has happened once again: on Saturday morning, a brown bear was spotted near the village of Égerszög, in the southern part of Aggtelek National Park. According to park authorities, the animal is a young and healthy specimen, though its current whereabouts remain unknown.
Park staff encountered the bear at a so-called feeding station — a site used by hunters to attract game, particularly wild boar. Bears, with their considerable bulk, are known to frequent such locations, and indeed another was seen at the same spot last year.
Hikers and ramblers in the region regularly report similar sightings. Experts believe a handful of bears may be roaming Hungary, making heightened caution advisable along these trails — especially given that hikers in the Zemplén hills may also encounter the venomous European adder.
Fatal attacks in Transylvania
Authorities in Romania’s Bistrița-Năsăud County requested permission on Monday from the Ministry of Environment to shoot a bear believed to have killed a woman. A similar incident was reported last week in Szeklerland, the Hungarian News Agency wrote.
The request followed the discovery of the body of a 53-year-old woman on Friday, found near the village of Bichigiu, part of Telciu commune, alongside the carcass of a dead cow. Local officials believe both deaths were caused by a bear attack.
The woman, who lived in a remote mountainous area, was reported missing by her family after failing to answer calls for a day. Police have opened a criminal investigation and ordered a post-mortem examination, though the results have yet to be disclosed. However, prefect Stelian Dolha, who visited the scene, told the Agerpres news agency that a veterinarian had confirmed signs consistent with a bear attack on the livestock.
The local emergency committee in Telciu has formally requested authorisation to shoot the animal. As the attack occurred outside a built-up area, local authorities lack the power to act independently.
Too many bears
According to Dolha, around 30 bears were counted in the nearby hunting grounds this spring — five more than last year — despite an optimal population of just six. The county’s environmental authority also reported that a bear attacked a sheep in the village on Monday.
Wiki Commons: Francis C. Franklin
A comparable incident was reported last week in Harghita County, where the body of a man was found in woodland near Farkaslaka. The mayor, Lehel Kovács, told the Maszol news portal that the victim, who lived alone in the wild, likely fell prey to a bear, based on visible injuries. He also reported that a bear charged at officers at the scene, who eventually drove it off with noise deterrents.
Police confirmed that the body of a 65-year-old local man had been recovered and that a post-mortem had been ordered. An investigation has been launched on suspicion of negligent homicide.
First a wolf, now a brown bear roams Hungary
Attacks in Hungarian-inhabited areas
On Saturday, a bear also attacked a man in Barcani (Zágonbárkány), Covasna County. The victim, a local resident, was walking home through the forest from Comandău when a mother bear with cubs charged him just a few hundred metres from the village, according to Székelyhon. He managed to escape and seek help, sustaining injuries to his arms and chest.
Data from Romania’s General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU) show a recent increase in phone alerts triggered by bears entering inhabited areas. Authorities warn that mother bears with cubs, as well as the mating season, heighten the danger.
Rising cull numbers
Romania’s latest genetic population survey indicates that brown bears have become overabundant. Estimates place the population between 10,419 and 12,770, while experts suggest an optimal number would be around 4,000. Bears venturing into settlements cause significant material damage and, over the past five to six years, have attacked humans more than 150 times, with over a dozen fatalities.
In April, Romania’s legislature approved a doubling of the hunting quota aimed at reducing bear numbers. The bill, introduced by the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ), allows for the shooting of 859 brown bears annually in 2026 and 2027, up from the previous quota of 426, as a preventive measure.
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