The brown bear population in Transylvania, Romania faces an uncertain future due to rapidly changing landscapes from forest loss and fragmentation. The study examined brown bear distribution patterns, conflicts with humans, and tolerance levels. Results showed bears were still found in heterogeneous landscapes with connected forest patches. Conflicts were influenced by local conditions like vegetation and guard dogs rather than bear activity levels. Most locals had neutral to positive views on bears, though compensation was still needed for attacks. Maintaining connectivity between forest habitats and tolerance for coexistence will be important for the long-term survival of brown bears in Transylvania.

1. The future of the brown bear (Ursus arctos) in
Transylvania, Romania
Ine Dorresteijn, Attila Kecskes, Jan Hanspach, Henrik
von Wehrden, Joern Fischer
dorresteijn@leuphana.de

2. Introduction
 Romania  largest brown bear population in Europe
 Transylvania
 Last lowland population
 Heterogeneous landscape - large forest tracts
 Rapidly changing
 Threat to biodiversity
Little known about the
bear population in the
Transylvanian lowlands

3. AIMS
Is there a future for the brown bear in Transylvania?
 Understand bear distribution patterns
 Examine human-bear conflicts and tolerance levels

4. Transylvania
Study area

5. Methods – bear distribution
 Bear distribution surveys
 activity index by ratio destroyed/total anthills
 forest pasture interface
 689 transects of 800 m: 550 km
 Protected area in detail
 Village catchments outside

6. Romania

7. Methods - Modeling
1. Human disturbance
 Distance to villages
2. Biophysical factors (1000 m radius)
 Ruggedness
 Forest edge to interior ratio
 Pasture cover
3. Connectivity between forest patches
 Betweenness centrality
4. Connectivity to the Carpathian mountains
 Cost-distance to the mountains based on expert opinions

8. Methods – interviews
 86 shepherds
 13: cow
 73: sheep/goat
 30 villages (1-4 per village)
 Questions
 Conflicts
 Attitude
 Compensation scheme

9. Results: model outcome
Group Positive effect Negative effect No effect
Human
disturbance
Distance to village
Biophysical Ruggedness Pasture cover
Forest edge : interior
Connectivity
between forests
Betweenness centrality
Connectivity to
mountains
Cost-distance
Heterogeneous landscapes  forest patches still connected and
can support both bears and humans

11. Average nr. attacks on sheep (last 3 years)

12. Results - conflicts
 Frequency of conflicts and bear activity do not correlate
 Local factors also influence attack rates
 Place of attack
 most attacks occurred on pastures with bushy vegetation
 Number of guarding dogs
 shepherds suffering attacks had fewer dogs per nr. of sheep
 Number of sheep in a herd higher for shepherds
suffering many attacks

13. Results - attitude
No attack on sheep
(N = 37)
Attacks on sheep
(N = 36)
Herding cows
(N = 13)
Trend bear
population 10 year
increase increase increase
Trend bear attacks
10 year
stable - no opinion increase stable - no opinion
Opinion on bears
bears
70%: neutral -
positive
70%: neutral -
positive
80%: neutral -
positive
Change in opinion no no no

14. Results – compensation scheme
No attack on sheep
(N = 37)
Attacks on sheep
(N = 36)
Herding cows
(N = 13)
Eliminate 60%: no – depends 50%: no - depends 50%: no - depends
Compensation
important
yes yes yes
Is there any
compensation
no no no

15. Is there a future for the brown bear?
 Under current condition  YES
 Important to keep highly connected landscape
 Secure the connection to the mountains
 Prevent fragmentation of forest patches
 Maintain coexistence between bears and humans
 Conflicts also affected by local conditions
 Keep tolerance levels high
 Future development could become a problem

16. THANKS TO:
Funding
• International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA),
Alexander von Humboldt foundation
Great field efforts
• Annamarie Krieg, Joris Tinnemans, Remi Bigonneau, Ben Scheele,
Alexander Fletcher, Arpad Szapanyos, Cathy Klein, Marlene Roelig,
Jannik Schultner, Szilard Sugar, Zsofia Mezey, Katrien Delille, Hana
Latkova, Mareike Brix, Lehel Denes, Norbert Morariu, Zsuzsanna Aczel-
Fridrich, Istvan Kosa, Adrienn Bugar, Fragnaud Helissandre, Fulop
Tihamer, Cosmin Moga, Lucas Teixeira
All the shepherds for their collaboration!