Romanian Brown Bears

William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message

Eurasian Brown Bears raiding the dumpsters in Brasov, Romania.

On a visit to Brasov, Romania, in March 2000, some local friends took me for a bike ride to show me “something exciting” that they knew I would love. It was strange enough riding through the dark streets beneath the towering communist apartment blocks, being chased by loose dogs around every turn. We rode our bikes past piles of garbage surrounding rows of nearly full dumpsters until my friend yelled, “There!” and pointed toward a group of dumpsters. Several Brown Bears were feasting from the trash can!

A few months later on another visit to Brasov in August 2000, I went back to the spot with the local pastor, and two visiting American pastors. When we arrived, a mother and two cubs were raiding the trash. An old Romanian man was throwing fire crackers at the bears from out his apartment window to scare the bears off, which they totally ignored.

Being brave (or foolish), we exited the car for a closer look. It didn’t take long and the mother bear, already aroused by the fire crackers, decided we were too close to her cubs and left the dumpster to charge toward us! We went to one side of the car, she came approached the other. She circled to the front of the car, we ran to the back side of the car. As she continued to come at us, we all dove into the little Dacia. Momma jumped up on the back window of the car, tore off the antenna, and began ripping the weather stripping from around the window!
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We were in a state of shock, unsure how to respond. One of the visiting American pastors sat in the back saying to himself, “How stupid! I just risked my family, my church, my life!” I was exhilarated and loved it! But I suppose my background in wildlife and animal control helped. 

Eurasian Brown Bears raiding the dumpsters in Brasov, Romania.

Eurasian Brown Bears raiding the dumpsters in Brasov, Romania.