Brown bears survive in several European countries including Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, and Finland. Their welfare is shaped by human-wildlife conflict, bear baiting history, and expanding populations.
Brown bear welfare in Europe involves both wild and captive individuals. Dancing bears — historically common in Romania and Bulgaria — have been largely eliminated through welfare campaigns by organizations like Four Paws. Wild bears face welfare pressures from habitat fragmentation, road mortality, and management culls. In Romania, politically contentious quota hunts have been challenged in court following high-profile incidents. The welfare of individual bears in conflict situations — often lethally managed — represents a persistent challenge where non-lethal solutions including electric fencing, aversive conditioning, and secure waste management have proven effective.