Don't Shoot the Brasov Bears

DIN PARTEA UNOR OAMENI PREOCUPATI DE SOARTA URSILOR DIN ROMANIA

In urma atacului feroce de simbata (16 octombrie 2004) din Brasov autoritatile locale iau acum masuri de exterminare a ursilor din Brasov. Au fost trimisi grupuri de vinatori pentru a tine sub control intreaga zona si padurile din jurul Brasovului iar primarul, George Scripcaru, a declarat categoric Acum insa gata, nu ma mai las impresionat. N-au decit sa ma injure cit vor toti cei care, vezi Doamne, mor de grija ursilor, dar nu vin cu nici o solutie. Gunoierii astia trebuie stirpiti imediat, pina nu se intimpla inca o nenorocire, alta solutie nu exista!

Este adevarat ca atacul de simbata nu a avut precedent in istoria cazurilor de atacuri provocate de ursi in Brasov si a condus la moartea unei persoane si ranirea grava a altora, dar ursul in cauza s-a dovedit a fi fost turbat, ceea ce nu inseamna neaparat ca intreaga populatie de ursi din zona Brasovului e afectata de rabie. In al doilea rind, vina apartine in mare masura populatiei din zona Racadau care, pe parcursul a mai multor ani si odata cu diversificarea gunoaielor menajere, a incurajat ursii sa vina la ghenele de gunoi. In mod evident, ursii s-au obisnuit treptat cu prezenta oamenilor si au ajuns chiar sa accepte mincare din mina lor.

Degeaba s-au luptat unele ONG-uri (precum cei din cadrul proiectului Carnivorele Mari din Carpati www.clcp.ro ) si autoritatile locale pentru a educa publicul si a trage un semnal de alarma asupra riscurilor de a hrani ursii. Oamenii vor ca ursii sa vina la ghene. S-au luat mai multe masuri, cum ar fi dotarea localnicilor din zona Racadau cu containere speciale dar oamenii au continuat sa depoziteze gunoiul in locuri accesibile ursilor. S-a incercat colaborarea cu serviciul de salubritate pentru ca gunoiul din Racadau sa fie colectat inainte de caderea serii pentru a preveni raidurile ursilor. Nici aceasta masura n-a dat roade unii oameni asteptind sa treaca masina salubritatii si numai dupa aceea scotind gunoiul afara.

Este evident ca oamenii vor sa vada ursii acolo si sint vinovati de a fi transformat aceasta preocupare intr-o atractie turistica. Era de asteptat ca intr-o astfel de situatie precum atacul de simbata furia sa se reverse asupra ursilor din zona Brasovului si sa se ceara omorirea lor.

In ciuda intensei mediatizari negative a acestui subiect, omorirea ursilor din Brasov nu este o solutie. In primul rind, nimeni nu poate garanta ca nu vor aparea alti ursi din judetele invecinate si nu vor cauza atacuri similare. In al doilea rind, oamenii trebuie educati despre importanta de a NU hrani animalele si de a NU le atrage in ograda proprie, in paralel cu o imbunatatire a sistemului de colectare a gunoiului. In al treilea rind, ursii ar putea fi plasati in rezervatii naturale speciale si protejati, mai degraba decit omoriti (Romania este una dintre putinele tari din Europa care mai are ursi, iar patrimoniul natural trebuie protejat si nu distrus). O alta solutie ar putea fi imprejmuirea lizierei cu un gard electric pentru a impiedica ursii sa se apropie de proprietatile publice sau private.

In concluzie, noi, subsemnatii, cerem autoritatilor din Brasov sa reevalueze abordarea acestei chestiuni si sa adopte o alta solutie decit impuscarea ursilor.

FROM A GROUP OF ENVIRONMENTALLY-CONCERNED PEOPLE:

Following the attrocious bear attack on Saturday 16 October in Brasov (Romania) the local authorities are now planning to wipe out the bear population around Brasov. Hunters are supervising the woods around Brasov and the mayor, George Scripcaru, has fiercely declared that 'these scavengers must be killed immediately before another attack happens - there is no other solution!'

While indeed the Saturday attack was unprecedented in the history of bear attacks in Brasov and has led to loss of one life and numerous casualties, this particular bear proved to have been rabid which does not necessarily mean that the whole bear population around Brasov is therefore rabid. Second, it was the local people (in the Racadau area) who kept encouraging the bears for many years to come to the rubbish bins for food. Naturally, the animals entirely changed their patterns of behaviour to the extent that they came to accept food offered to them by hand.

It was in vain that NGOs (such as the Carpathian Large Carnivore Project - www.clcp.ro )and the local authorities tried to educate the public about the risk of feeding the bears, people want the bears to come to the rubbish bins. Several schemes were tried, such as providing the locals with special bins but the people continued to leave rubbish just about anywhere for the bears to feed on. An attempt was made to collaborate with the Refuse Services in order to make sure that the rubbish bins in Racadau were collected before the evening, to prevent bear raids. It didn't work, however. Some local people waited until the refuse van was gone and only then did they put the rubbish out.

Clearly, people want to see the bears at close quarters and it was they who have turned this into a 'tourist attraction'. It was predictable that in such circumstances as the Saturday attack people should direct their anger towards all the bears around Brasov area and demand their killing.

Despite all this negative trend in the media, killing the bears is not a solution. First, no one can guarantee that more bears from the surrounding counties won't eventually end up in Racadau and cause other attacks. Second, it is the people who need educating about the importance of NOT feeding the animals and improving the rubbish collection system. Third, the bears could be put in nature reserves rather than killed (Romania is one of the few countries in Europe that still has bears and we need to protect our natural heritage rather than destroy it). Another solution would be to surround the forest edge with electric wire to prevent bears from encroaching onto private or public properties.

To conclude, we, the undersigned, ask the Brasov authorities to reconsider their approach to this matter and seek an alternative solution.