Last weekend, staff of EuroNatur partner Milvus succeeded in rescuing a bear from a loop trap in the Eastern Carpathian Mountains in Romania. Luckily, the young bear got off lightly.
The Romanian conservationists took this opportunity to submit the bear to a careful examination and to fix a GPS-transmitter collar. Milvus had already succeeded in capturing a male bear last April, which was equipped with a transmitter collar as well; this technique helps following the trails of these shy animals. From the collected data, Milvus expects receiving precise information regarding both distribution and trails of the bears, records on which Milvus will base its argumentation in order to prevent road building, to suggest alternative roadways or to implement wildlife crossings.
Romania is currently planning a general motorway network, and the danger is that the new roads, which are likely to be heavily trafficked, will cut through the existing wildlife corridors and habitat of the bears. EuroNatur supports Milvus in preparing a precise concept as to how the negative impact of traffic routes on the bear population can be avoided or at least kept within reasonable limits.