Romania is a country of extremes: when it comes to economic data, the country is pretty much at the end of all statistics in the European Union. However, when it comes to environmental statistics, Romania is on top of all lists: it has the largest surface of virgin forests, the biggest populations of large carnivores, the highest biodiversity and the largest unfragmented forests left in the Union.

Romania, as no other country in the European Union, has a high importance for conservation and a potential for a green economic development. Right now there are over 6 million hectares of forests, out of which a significant portion is still virgin; large, unfragmented mountain areas with no settlements except in the surrounding foothills and mountains of stunning beauty, surrounded by natural forests. Untamed rivers, who‘s dynamic still shape the valleys are surrounded by bears, wolves, lynx and over 3,700 plant species, many of them endemic to the region. In times of human overpopulation, climate change, and a biodiversity crisis, these natural assets become a treasure, which most other countries in Europe have lost. Yet, instead of using this potential and developing Romania into the greenest country of Europe and thus setting a benchmark in modern development, these resources are being destroyed at an alarming rate.

Foundation Conservation Carpathia (FCC) has a huge vision: to create a new, world-class wilderness reserve in the Southern Romanian Carpathians for the benefit of biodiversity and local communities. CARPATHIA’s specific activities are those to which wildlife rangers contribute or perform directly: interventions in human-wildlife conflicts, collection of samples for genetic analysis, participation in some actions related to the reintroduction of bison, and others. But how do you do that?

 

How to start a project on this scale?

In the past 10 years, the project has purchased over 20,000 hectares of forests and alpine meadows in the South-eastern Carpathians, which we now fully protect. The Romanian Carpathians provide a home to the most diverse mix of wildlife – over 3,500 animal species are thriving here, many of which are strictly protected by European law. With few exceptions (bison, beaver), the entire mammal fauna is still present in viable numbers, including the large carnivores – wolf, bear and lynx. In respect to birds, only vultures and black grouse are missing from the original species.

Unfortunately, these forests and alpine meadows aren’t the same as they used to be anymore. After the fall of communism, numbers of large mammals have suffered from overhunting and poaching, and disturbance through logging and livestock farming activities. In Romania, wildlife management and hunting rights are not linked to land ownership, but administered by the state and auctioned off to the national or private hunting associations. In order to effectively protect wildlife in the general area of land acquisitions, FCC has founded its own hunter’s association and managed to lease the hunting rights for the core area of the project in the upper Dimbovita Valley. Together with the adjacent National Park Piatra Craiului, this translates into an area of 36,000 hectares of hunting free zone – an important refuge for predators and prey alike.

By taking over the hunting area, we have also challenged the traditional wildlife monitoring system, which is normally conducted by the hunters themselves and naturally prone to mistakes and even falsification with the goal to obtain higher quotas. To get a good and reliable estimate on the current population sizes of key species, we have started to use genetic analysis of scat and hair samples, and use of camera traps, together with traditional sign surveys (ground snowtracking, den counts). Due to our efforts, we could prove that chamois numbers have dramatically decreased in the entire Papusa Mountain. Consequently, the Ministry has put a moratorium on chamois hunting until the population recovers.

 

Bisons

In addition to protecting what is present, FCC is also committed to bring back what has been lost: the European bison should soon be part of the native fauna again. In the Făgăraș Mountains, first efforts have been made to achieve this. In May 2020 eight bison were reintroduced in the area. A missing link in the trophic chain was finally back again. Right now, 28 bison are roaming free in the wild. Yet, FCC’s efforts will continue until they reach 75-100 individuals.

Even though this sounds fairly easy, it’s important to know that a thorough strategy was and is being used for this purpose. First of all, the 100 individuals that we’re striving for are needed for a feasible reintroduction, so they can survive and multiply. Which until now has been successful, as the first bison calf born in the wild has already been seen. Besides that, the new individuals should be separated into three areas (with a minimum of 30 individuals in each area). Bison can move and migrate between these areas, facilitating over time the meeting of individuals from the three groups. That’s important because the bison brought in are from different origins: Great Britain, Sweden and Vânători Neamț (another area in Romania).

The reintroduction of the bison is not only a matter of repairing the environmental mistakes of the past, or a case of modern biodiversity conservation, but is also an excellent example of how nature conservation can help local communities thrive and develop. They play a significant role in local tourism based on natural observation. Consequently, in order to support the development of tourism in the area, we plan to build a series of visitor centres for tourists who want to know the story of the bison, especially those from the Făgăraș Mountains. Also, from a natural point of view, as the number of bison stabilises, biodiversity will benefit directly: the meadows will be maintained by grazing bison and forests will acquire a better natural structure, at the same time benefiting the deer.

 

Return of the beaver

Besides the reintroduction of the bison, another animal has returned to the Făgăraș Mountains. The most skilled engineer of nature, the beaver, has returned home after more than 100 years. It took two years of scientific and socio-economic studies and thousands of hours spent in the field. The beaver families will return through an extensive programme which reintroduces this charismatic species. Over the next three years, approximately 90 beavers will be reintroduced.

Reintroduction is a great deal in creating the ultimate environment here in the Southern area of Romania. However, many big carnivores already living in the area propose a great danger and threat to local communities. FCC is therefore also involved in monitoring the animals who roam wild and free here, with the aim of establishing long-term policies to protect species and reduce human-wildlife conflicts.

 

Monitoring species

Two of the species that have been monitored and researched the past year, are bears and European lynx (Lynx lynx). In a pilot area in the Southern Carpathians, a first scientific, quantitative monitoring programme has been completed successfully for the latter of these two species. Monitoring was done with the help of 152 camera traps with motion sensors, after which 23 adult lynx and nine kittens were seen. The aim of this method was not only monitoring the lynx, but also creating a model for monitoring wildlife at a national level.

Alongside that, Conservation Carpathia has been working on the first genetic study in Romania, with the result of identifying bears over an area of 120.000 ha (1.200 square km). The efforts of this quantitative assessment will be useful in the future for responsible management of the bears in Romania. For example, the data from this research can be used to manage human-bear conflicts. During bear attacks in households, we collect evidence in order to find out which specific animal has caused the conflict or the damage. After thorough research, the magnitude of the problem is better known and action can be taken accordingly.

Preventative measures have to be taken to reduce the human-bear conflicts in the future. Thus, since mid-2019, 41 electric fences were installed free of charge. The main result until now was the lack of incidents on these premises. Also, 45 shepherd dogs were offered free of charge to the shepherds from the Făgăraș Mountains area and a private farm was created to offer cows and sheep in exchange for the damages caused by carnivores. Even though many efforts have been made, the intervention teams had to capture and relocate one bear and eliminate three bears that endangered people’s and livestocks’ lives.

 

A wildlife board

The research and preventative measures with our bears has been of great effect. However, we also realise that the local communes should have an equal vote in the actual regulations of how to approach human-wildlife conflicts. In this regard we have founded a Voluntary Regional Committee for the Prevention and Management of Wildlife Conflicts in 2020 with the role of identifying existing problems, their causes and proposing and prioritising solutions in a transparent manner for preventing and mitigating human-large carnivore conflicts. Among the members of the Committee are designated representatives of local authorities, farmers, forest rangers and environmental authorities, the FCC and hunters. Thus, together, we aim to reduce human-wildlife conflicts for the benefit of humans, as well as for the benefit of large protected carnivore species.