A tourist on Romania’s Transfăgărășan highway was so fixated on his phone on July 27 that he stood motionless while a young brown bear repeatedly nuzzled and nibbled at his leg.
The incident, filmed by a passing motorist in the Transylvania mountains, spread quickly across social media. Footage shows the man standing at the roadside, eyes locked on his screen, as the bear approaches from behind and makes repeated contact with his calf. According to Romanian outlet Stiripesurse, the man showed no reaction even as the animal nudged him several times.
A driver eventually intervened, edging the vehicle slowly forward to frighten the bear off. Only then did the man appear to realize a bear was standing behind him. He sprinted to his car, parked a few metres ahead, with the animal briefly in pursuit. He was not injured.
The video drew thousands of comments, mixing amusement with alarm. One user joked that the man appeared to have the survival instincts of a potato, while others highlighted the dangers posed by bears along the popular tourist route.
The Transfăgărășan is known for its dramatic mountain scenery as well as its brown bears, which regularly approach vehicles and walkers in search of food. Romanian authorities repeatedly advise against approaching or feeding wild animals, even when they appear calm.
