The Carpathian Reservoir
The Carpathians are the kingdom of the brown bears. Romania is the European country with the most bears, very largely: there are around 6,000 of them. This omnivore feeds mainly on berries, fruits, seeds, herbs and roots (80% of its diet). It also eats other animals, mainly insects and small mammals. Sometimes larger ones, such as deer, if the opportunity arises. In the fall, it eats to build up solid reserves. This is all the more vital for females, who give birth in the dead of winter. In late fall, the brown bear retreats into its den and slows down its activity until spring: more than hibernation, this is called "winter sleep". The plantigrade, which is mainly active at night, leads a solitary life, avoiding its congeners as much as possible outside the breeding season. The cubs, on the other hand, stay about two years with their mother. Thanks to its enormous sickle-shaped claws, the brown bear can climb trees and dig into the earth. Don't be fooled by his wading pace: he can go very fast!
The number of wolves (lup) is estimated to be between 2,000 and 3,000, about a quarter of the European population. They live in packs, in the most remote parts of the forest, but hunt wherever they find food: in the hills, pastures... They feed mainly on deer and wild boar. In winter, when they can no longer find food, they may (but rarely) attack livestock. On the other hand, there is little chance of coming across one: wolves are very afraid of humans and flee from them.
This is also the case for the lynx (ras), which is even more fearful and discreet. This solitary lynx hunts on the look-out, silently, taking deer, small mammals or birds by surprise. The largest cats in Europe, they are said to number 1,200 to 1,500, or 12 to 16% of the European population. High on its feet, the lynx is recognizable by its favourites and the tuft of black hair on the tips of its ears.
The cohabitation between these predators and the population, which has never ceased, is less conflictual than in France. But in recent years, tensions have increased around the bear. In the countryside, and even in towns (at Brașov in particular, where concentrations are very high), the inhabitants are regularly confronted with plantigrades, which come to feed in the dustbins or, sometimes, attack livestock on the farms themselves. Several dozen people have been injured in recent years. In September 2019, the Senate even passed a law reauthorizing hunting. At the time of writing, the text had not passed the assembly, but the episode says a lot about the fed up feelings of part of the rural population. The environmentalists point to the reduction of bear habitat and their pantry, the poor management of waste and the bad habits of the tourists who enjoy feeding them.
It is not carnivorous, but just as mythical: very present in Romanian legends and imagination, the bison (zimbru) had disappeared from the country two centuries ago. In recent years, several dozen individuals have been reintroduced in the wild, mainly in the mountains Țarcu, southwest of the Carpathians. With a large head and a large chest, this herbivorous colossus can measure more than 2 m and weigh 1 t, making it the largest land mammal on the continent. It is one of those species that have a great influence on their environment: for example, it helps to maintain diversity in the prairies by grazing the most common grasses, freeing up space for the rarer ones.
The Carpathians are also home to numerous deer, roe deer, wild boar, birds such as the capercaillie and the Ural owl, amphibians such as the newt and the salamander. The thousands of limestone caves in the Carpathians are home to a great diversity of bats (lilieci). Insects include the Alpine Rosalie, a beautiful blue insect with long antennae, and the Apollo, a large butterfly with white wings decorated with small black and red patterns. In altitude, above the forests, live chamois, marmots (reintroduced), golden eagles, crows and vipers.On the plains, a variety of ecosystems
Further down, in the plains and forest steppes of Dobrogea, Moldova and the south of the country, there is a great diversity of small mammals (martens, hares, skunks, weasels, wild cats...) and other rodents, such as the Romanian hamster, an endemic species. In winter, the snow-covered plain is marked by numerous paths traced by these animals. All these species can be seen on the edge of the forest, in the groves and hedges that surround the fields and meadows of the isolated countryside. In the villages, storks are numerous to nest at the top of chimneys or electricity poles. Partridges, pheasants, mantled crows and passerines can also be found in the southern plains.
An open-air farm
Pets are omnipresent in the villages. Sheep, cows, horses, pigs, chickens and other poultry often roam freely and brighten up the countryside. Here and there you will come across flocks of sheep crossing the road, groups of geese criss-crossing the villages, a cow trotting along the roadside, brought back from the pasture ..
The Danube Delta, a bird's paradise
At the crossroads of multiple migratory routes, the Danube Delta, a mecca for ornithology, is home to more than 300 species of birds. Some come here to spend the winter, others to nest in the summer. Others only stop here to rest and feed. In the maze of canals and lakes formed by the delta, among the reeds and trees, you will marvel at the incessant ballet of herons, sheldums, swans, egrets, spoonbills and grebes that splash and fly away before your eyes. Not forgetting, of course, the pelicans, symbols of the place. Here they form the largest colony in Europe, with more than 2,500 pairs of common white pelicans, plus about a hundred curly pelicans. They arrive in early spring to nest and leave at the end of summer. You will also see kingfishers, pygmy cormorants (60% of the world's population), pretty red-necked geese (50%), reed harriers, white-tailed eagles
... Classified on the World Heritage List by UNESCO since 1991, the delta has an extraordinary biodiversity in addition to its birds: otters, tree frogs, foxes, wild boars, roe deer, snakes, dragonflies... It is also one of the last refuges for European mink. In recent years, the beaver has made a comeback and the golden jackal, an invasive species, is proliferating here. Wild horses roam free.The sturgeon, dean of the rivers
In this same delta, one of the oldest animal species on the planet remains: the sturgeon (sturion) appeared some 200 million years ago, at the same time as the dinosaurs! This fascinating migratory fish is scaleless, recognizable by its pointed snout, and can reach several metres in length. Highly coveted for its eggs, with which caviar is produced, it is a victim of overfishing, poaching and river degradation. Seriously threatened with extinction, its fishing has been banned since 2006 and its breeding is developing.
The delta has about a hundred other species of fish: catfish, carp, perch, pike, pikeperch, pikeperch, shad... Several of these species are found in the many lakes, rivers and streams that criss-cross the country. The trout, which once populated them in large numbers, has also suffered from poaching and the transformation of natural environments. As for the Black Sea, turtles, mackerel and horse mackerel are fished there.Our tips for observing them
The excellent natural history museum Grigore Antipa, in Bucharest, allows to see specimens of the main species of the country, stuffed and inserted in dioramas reconstructing their natural environment. The aquarium of the ecotourism museum centre in Tulcea presents the fish of the delta. The sturgeon basin is absolutely captivating.
To travel through the Danube Delta and observe its birds, you need the services of a guide. It is recommended that you avoid speedboats and opt for tours accompanied by an ornithologist, otherwise the outing will be meaningless: Ibis tour, Escape travel and Wild travel based in Tulcea, or Ecoturism delta at Crișan, are sure values.
It is obviously more complicated to observe large carnivores. But not impossible: thus, several ecotourism agencies propose to hike by following their tracks. Among them are Absolute Carpathian, Transylvanian wolf, Carpathian Nature Tours or Foundation Conservation Carpathia. You may be lucky enough to spot a lynx or a wolf, even if it is very rare.
Bears are a little less shy: you can easily see them in one of the many observatories managed by the rangers, mainly around Brașov. In fact, for the last few years, to prevent them from going down to town to do the garbage, the rangers have been putting cookies, corn or bread at the foot of these huts. For a fee of up to 60 €, you can contemplate this fascinating feast of plantigrades. You will have to go through one of the agencies mentioned above.
You will also be able to observe bears in semi-liberty at the Libearty sanctuary at Zărnești: this 69-hectare refuge collects about a hundred of them, saved from captivity. Indeed, until the mid-2000s, it was not uncommon to come across locked or chained bears to bait tourists.
It is also more likely to come across a bear while hiking in the forest or even in nearby urban areas. Be aware that bears are not interested in your flesh and are generally not aggressive. But it can attack if it is frightened, feels challenged, or if it is a mother bear with her cubs. Avoid shouting and sudden movements, back away slowly and give him room to run away. When hiking, stay on marked trails. Beware especially at the end of the day: this is the time when they wake up. And of course, don't feed them!
Finally, for the buffalo, contact the association Măgura Zimbrilor from Armeniș (AMZA), a village in the mountains Țarcu: this is where many of them have been reintroduced. AMZA proposes to go and walk in their footsteps.Exceptional forests
2,000 years ago, the forest (pădure) covered 70-80% of Romania's territory
. However, in the plains and foothills, where extensive clearing was carried out, particularly in the 19th century, it gave way to crops. Only mountain forests and, to a lesser extent, hill forests remain. They now cover about 27% of the country's surface, or more than 6 million hectares. Since the Revolution, they have suffered from massive illegal logging.At the crossroads of several climatic influences, Romania has a wide variety of trees. In altitude, the main coniferous trees (pines, spruces, larches, firs...) prevail over beeches. The woods on the hills and plains are made up of deciduous trees (oaks, lime trees, hornbeams, elms, ash trees...). The country also conceals a good part of the last virgin forests in Europe: they still occupy more than 200,000 ha, 24,000 of which have been listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 2017. Having appeared 10,000 years ago and never exploited by man, they are an invaluable refuge for biodiversity. Populated mainly by beech trees, you will be able to come across gigantic trees, several centuries old, dead trunks invested by mushrooms and mosses, rare flowers... The Cozia forest, in the Olt valley, and the Slătioara forest, in Bucovina, with marked trails, are particularly recommended. Beware however of wild animals, it is better to go there with an experienced guide.
Other remarkable forests are those of Letea and Caraorman, in the Danube Delta, which were formed on sandbanks. Bordered by dunes, they evoke the jungle, with their trees colonized by lianas and Virginia creeper. The oaks have taken strange shapes over the centuries. Poplars, ash trees, elm trees, silver willows, wild apple trees, rush and horsetail complete this lush vegetation.A profusion of plants
Romania also abounds in wild plants and flowers
. Their representation is also common in handicrafts: ceramics or costumes are often decorated with floral motifs.In spring, a walk will make you discover the richness of the mountain flora: edelweiss, Jupiter's helmets, Venus' hooves, rhododendrons, bellflowers, gentian... These flowers grow in large numbers in vast wild areas as there are few left in Western Europe.
Grasslands make up almost 20% of the territory and are present in the plain, foothills and steppe areas. Some are covered with flowering daffodils in April-May. These "narcissus meadows" (poiana narciselor) appear in various places in the country: the largest is the one in Dumbrava Vadului, near Făgăraș, but they can also be found around Brașov, near Bistrița, in Banat, the Apuseni... Also worth mentioning is the - unique - wild lilac forest of Ponoara, in the south-west.
The Danube delta, a unique environment where more than 1,000 species of plants (water lilies, carnivorous plants...) can be found, also contains one of the largest concentrations of reeds in the world.
Medicinal plants, of which Romania was one of the world's major producers under communism, are still widely used in grandmother's remedies (camomile, arnica...). In rural areas, plants are also used in cooking, especially in spring: bear's garlic, nettles, etc.
Several botanical gardens have interesting sections dedicated to the local flora: this is particularly the case of the one in Iași, but also in Bucharest and Cluj.
