Tales of Rural Life in Europe | European Journal

Part 6: Romania: Szekelydobo - the village where shepherds battle hunters Shepherds in the eastern Carpathian Mountains have many enemies: bears, lynxes, and wolves -- and now the hunters who kill their sheep dogs. Shepherd Lajos Vitez has a herd of 600 sheep. The law says he is entitled to keep two sheepdogs. But Vitez has twelve dogs and doesn't want to do without any of them, because they protect the sheep from wolves and other predators on high-altitude pastures. But hunters shoot at his dogs. They have leased an area from the Romanian state and organize hunts for Western tourists. One requirement for keeping their lease is that they must shoot sheepdogs that overrun the quota. And so now there is no peace in this Carpathian village.