Romanian leader: Officials mishandled bear shooting
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Romania's president on Thursday criticized the way authorities handled the case of a brown bear that was shot by police after it wandered into a central city.
The bear entered Sibiu, a picturesque tourist city, on Wednesday and was shot by a police rifleman after an attempt with a tranquilizer dart failed. Video of the bear being shot that appeared on social media led to protests from Romanians who say the frightened creature was not a threat.
Local police chief Tiberiu Iulian Ivancea said police were investigating the use of the weapon and how the bear entered the city.
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President Klaus Iohannis, meanwhile, accused 50 "untrained and disorganized officials" of mishandling the case and asked "wouldn't it be easier ... to have 2 or 3 trained people?"
"It is not a natural disaster if a bear walks into the city. But the emotion it creates is like the emotion created by a natural disaster," he said in comments broadcast live. "To avoid powerful and negative emotions, we need clear procedures."
Romania has between 5,000 and 6,000 bears in the country.