Video shows tourist unaware of bear approaching from behind on Romania's Transfăgărășan

29 July 2026 A tourist narrowly avoided being attacked by a brown bear on Romania's scenic Transfăgărășan mountain road after failing to notice the animal approaching from behind. The incident, captured on video by another visitor, has since gone viral on social media. The footage shows the man standing by the roadside looking at his phone while a bear quietly walks up behind him. The animal comes within a few centimetres of the tourist and is seen sniffing his leg while the man remains unaware of its presence. He only realizes the danger after the bear moves into his field of vision, prompting him to run to his car, with the animal briefly following him. Romania is home to one of Europe's largest brown bear populations. According to preliminary results of a study released by the Ministry