Romanian village pestered by brandy-drinking bear

BUCHAREST, Romania – Romanian hunting authorities have given their approval to shoot a bear that has been wandering into villagers’ homes and helping itself to food, terrifying locals.

Jozsef Benke, a local director of the Hunting and Fishing Association said the brown bear, aged about five, has smashed windows and broke wooden doors in the remote village of Suseni.

He told The Associated Press Thursday that the bear sometimes “raided” kitchens while the owner was asleep, and that it recently helped itself to sugar, candies and lard.

Benke, who received the hunting approval Thursday, even claimed the bear had consumed locally-made blackcurrant brandy.

Last year, 17 bear attacks were reported in Harghita, a county in central Romania, which is home to 1,000 bears.

Romania has between 5,000 and 6,000 wild bears.