Overview

• Romania's new law authorizes the culling of 481 bears, more than double last year's quota.
• The decision follows the death of a 19-year-old hiker in the Carpathian Mountains.
• Romania has the largest brown bear population in Europe outside Russia, estimated at up to 8,000.
• Environmental groups argue that culling will not solve the underlying issues of habitat loss and food scarcity.
• Authorities report that bears have killed 26 people and injured 274 in Romania over the past 20 years.