10 Creepy Facts about Transylvanian Animals 

Transylvania is often regarded as one of the creepiest places on Earth, or is it? This historic region in central Romania is known for a name that translates in Latin to 'beyond the forest.' Transylvania is rich in legends of vampires, witches, and UFOs, making it a place of magic and folklore.

Below are 10 creepy and magical facts about Transylvanian animals and legends that call this magical place home. 

10 Creepy Facts about Transylvanian Animals

Legend has it that bears ward off evil spirits.

Good job, as around six thousand brown bears make Transylvania their home, nearly 60% of Europe's brown bear population.

The eerie legend of Hoia-Baciu Forest

Nicknamed the Romanian Bermuda Triangle, the Hoia-Baciu Forest is named after the shepherd who disappeared on the site with a flock of 200 sheep - never to be seen again.

Home to a mammal who can’t see.

Mehely's Blind Mole-rat is an endangered burrowing species endemic to Romania.

Winged nocturnal predator 

While there are no vampire bats in Transylvania, it is home to lots of bat species. The largest is the greater mouse-eared bat with a wingspan of 45cm. 

Where the risen dead take the form of wolves. 

In Romanian folklore, Pricolici assumes the appearance of a wolf to harm the living. In some tellings, Pricolici are werewolves in life but in death, return as vampires.

The death watch beetle is an omen of death.

The clock tick like tapping from this beetle was a mythological sign that death is near.

Ravens can mimic human voices.

Hearing voices? It may not always be a cryptid. Ravens can learn and reproduce sounds from their environment. 

Dracula prowls around walls and trees.

The green-fanged Dracula spider is an aggressive ambush predator that feasts on nocturnal insects. 

A lynx can sneak up on you without making a sound.

The Carpathian Mountains are home to the Eurasian lynx. They are skilled hunters that rely on stealth and ambush tactics.

Sightings of the Golden Stag bring good fortune. 

The Transylvanian area is home to red, roe and fallow deer. However, it’s the mythical golden stag that you should keep an eye out for. 

Enjoy what you have read? Have a look at our other Halloween blog posts.