Bear Spotting in Romania

Two years ago in the summer of 2019 I started one of my first jobs abroad at English Cool Camp in Romania. Having been travelling for much of the previous six months since finishing university I was running out of money and my options were to either return to the UK or find work elsewhere; unsurprisingly, I opted with the latter.

I loved my first experience of working and teaching English abroad and have continued doing it ever since. Since that time I have worked in Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and online, all in the midst of a global pandemic. I have enjoyed everywhere I have ventured to and can recommend the experience to anyone, however Romania holds a special place for me as the place it all began.

As I write this I am back in Romania, spending a further two months in the Carpathian Mountains teaching English in a location of particular natural beauty. Whilst I intend to write about my overall experience with the camp in the future, this post is dedicated more specifically to an experience I had during my current stay here.

Bear sightings are a common occurrence here in the mountains and from my very first stay here I was warned about their presence. Despite this, two years ago we never had even so much as a suggestion that a bear was close during our stay in Păltiniș.

This year - based in a different hotel, a few hours away in Predeal - they have become an almost daily occurrence. The first indication that things would be different this time came on the very first day when out of nowhere a cacophony of alarms was emitted from every phone in the area. What we now know is an almost daily occurrence was at first a confusing surprise; we were receiving our first text alert of a bear being sighted in the local area. On top of this, the hotel - and the local area in general - is protected by many specially trained dogs for in the event of bears entering the more populated areas. These two aspects put together really did suggest a sighting was much more likely this time around.

Although the alarms are designed to keep us away and safe from bears, having never seen any we all saw them as potential opportunities for a sighting. The first few led to nothing and, indeed, perhaps the closest we came in those early days was when there was no warning at all.

With the kids gone, us trainers were enjoying a drink outside the hotel when a member of staff ran out with a firecracker and threw it around the corner just 20 or so metres from where we sat. We quickly realised the implication that a bear must be close and ran to where the staff member stood but it was too late and the bear had fled.

We needn't be disappointed for too long as the very next night we got our opportunity to see a bear up close and personal.

A group of five of us were making the short five minute walk to our accommodation, separate from the main building, when we were urgently called into a nearby house by the occupants. The building turned out to be an accommodation for people working in the local area and they were quick to tell us that they had spotted a bear very close by and that it wasn't safe to walk. They welcomed us in and - despite this clearly not being their first experience with bears - seemed caught up in our excitement for spotting them.

We were not to be disappointed, as within minutes an excited huddle gathered around the window where only a few metres away was a bear rooting through a shed (kennel?). To see a bear in the wild - particularly after so much anticipation - really did live up to expectations. To witness an animal of such beauty and power up close - and in a natural environment - is unquestionably a unique sensation.

Afterwards, we were left to wait for the local police who were to escort us home the remaining 100m or so. It was not to be the last time this would happen, with the police regularly called to assist in our short journey home due to the frequency of bear sightings (although none as close as this first one, yet).

Given that I will be staying here until the end of august, let's see whether we will have more close encounters with our local neighbours.

Posted: 01/08/2021
Written by: Tom Taylor (@tomtayloor)