Minister of the Environment Gratiela Gavrilescu told a press conference this Friday in Targoviste that the ministry had identified European funding for the inventory of Romania's bear population.
The EnviMin added that Romania's bear population is several times higher than that of the entire European Union.
"Under this project we will do the inventory because it takes time and money, as so far this has been done on paper only, based on the reports of each hunting ground administration and because we assume that Romania's bear population is not 5,000 - 6,000-strong (some say 7,000) but far bigger. Under this program we will know exactly the numbers. (...) Romania has a bear population several times higher than the EU's entire population, specifically, whereas the EU is estimated to have around two, three thousand bears, we have three times more," Gavrilescu said.
At the same time, the Minister of the Environment reiterated the need to protect human life, not just the animals.
"As a minister, I think I have taken a lot of heat for allegedly killing, slaughtering the protected species bear, for having no mercy on them, and each time I explained that the human-animal relationship has been here ever since humanity has walked the earth and that it must be further protected, it must be preserved. But just as we want to take care of a protected species, we must also take care of human life," Gavrilescu said.
Environment Minister Gratiela Gavrilescu was in Dambovita County on Friday, where she attended a working meeting with the county authorities, mayors and heads of devolved institutions.