Vama Buzăului to install 4.3km electric fence against bears

Vama Buzăului, a commune in Brașov County, is installing an electric fence stretching more than 4.3 kilometres to keep bears away from homes and reduce the risk of dangerous encounters between people and wildlife. The project follows a successful model already used in nearby Râșnov.

According to a report by G4Media, the local administration has signed a contract worth 715,900 lei with Brașov-based company Eurofence. The new fence will replace an existing wire barrier and is designed to act as an additional deterrent against wild animals entering residential areas.

The technical documentation shows the fence will be made of wire mesh fitted with two electric wires, with a total length of 4,338 linear metres and a maximum height of 120 centimetres. It is intended to create a strong physical and psychological barrier for bears and other large mammals that venture out of the surrounding forests.

Vama Buzăului is taking inspiration from Râșnov, another town in Brașov County, where a similar electric fence of about 9 kilometres was installed along zones where households directly border the forest. According to Râșnov town hall representatives, after the fence was erected, the number of 112 emergency calls reporting bear sightings dropped by more than 90%.

Data cited by the media show that in June and July 2025, there were around 30 such calls per month. By August, when the Râșnov fence was still being installed, the number had fallen to just two. This sharp decline convinced Vama Buzăului officials to adopt the same preventive approach for their community.

The new electric fence is expected to make daily life safer for residents while also helping to protect the bear population by keeping the animals in their natural habitat, away from human settlements and potential conflicts.