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Romania Euthanizes Bear After Selfie Attack Kills Italian Tourist

Romanian authorities have renewed warnings to respect wildlife distance rules after forest guards euthanized the bear to recover the tourist’s body.

Selfi del turista Omar Zin antes de ser atacado por la osa.

Overview

  • Italian motorcyclist Omar Farang Zin, 49, posted a close-up selfie with a bear cub on the Transfăgărășan road moments before the mother bear attacked him on July 6.
  • Seconds after uploading the photo to Facebook, the adult bear charged and dragged him down a 40-meter ravine, where rescue teams recovered his body about an hour later.
  • Armed forest guards shot and euthanized the protective mother bear under protocol to separate it from the victim’s remains.
  • Authorities reiterated that feeding or approaching brown bears is prohibited along marked tourist routes and stressed the importance of maintaining safe distances.
  • The case has reignited debate over managing Europe’s largest brown bear population in the Carpathians and the risks of social media-driven wildlife encounters.