Brown bears are found across Europe in populations ranging from critically endangered to least concern. There are currently an estimated 24,000 bears across 10 European populations. Monitoring and management strategies vary across populations but include estimating population size and trends, research through genetic analysis, telemetry, and counts, as well as management through protection, quotas, and action plans. In Croatia, the brown bear population has grown from less than 100 bears in the 1950s to over 1,000 currently. The Croatian Bear Management Plan aims to maintain a stable population of around 900 bears through hunting quotas, supplemental feeding, habitat conservation, addressing human-bear conflicts, public education, and international cooperation.

2. Djuro HuberDjuro Huber
Trento, 02 April 2014Trento, 02 April 2014
"Research, status and management of"Research, status and management of
brown bears in Europe:brown bears in Europe:
coping in human dominated landscape"coping in human dominated landscape"

3. Brown bearBrown bear in Europein Europe
Ursus arctos
PopulationsPopulations fromfrom
CRITICALLYCRITICALLY
DANGEREDDANGERED toto
LEAST CONCERNLEAST CONCERN
Assessed:1996, 2006

4. Brown Bear Red-listing in Europe:
10 populations doing fine with 500
million people

5. 500 million people
(decreasing)
Massive
infrastucture

6. Carpathian
Scandinavian Karelian
Baltic
Cantabrian
Pyrenean
Alpine
Appenine
Dinaric-
Pindos
East Balkan
24 thousand bears
(increasing)
17 thousand with no
Russia (west of 35°E),
Belarus and Ukraine

7. •Petra Kaczensky, Guillaume Chapron, Manuela von Arx,
Djuro Huber, Henrik Andrén, and John Linnell (Editors)
Status, management and distribution of large carnivores
– bear, lynx, wolf & wolverine – in Europe (March 2013)

8. Population size and
trendName Last size estimate 2005 Most recent size Trend
2006-2011
Scandinavia Norway: 46 Sweden: 2350-2900
TOTAL: 2600
Norway: 105+ Sweden: 3300
TOTAL: 3405
Increase
Karelian (including
Russia west of 35°E)
Norway: 23, Finland:810-860
(850)
Norway: 46 Finland: 1900
(1700)
Increase
Baltic (not Belarus and
Russia)
Estonia: 515. Latvia:10
(525)
Estonia: 700, Latvia: 12
(710)
Increase
Carpathian (not Ukraine) Romania: 6700, Poland: 117
Serbia North: ?, Slovakia: 700-900
TOTAL:7600
Romania: 6000. Poland: 147
Serbia North: 8, Slovakia: 1370
TOTAL: 7520
Stable
Dinaric-Pindos Slovenia: 300, Croatia: 600-1000
Bosnia & Herzegovina: 438. FYRM 180,
Montenegro: ~100 , Albania: 250,
Serbia: 50-80, Greece: 190-260
TOTAL: 2800
Slovenia: 450, Croatia: 1000
Bosnia & Herzegovina: 550
Montenegro: 270, F YRM 180, Albania:
180, Serbia: 60, Greece: 350
TOTAL: 3040
Increase
Alpine Italy: 29, Switzerland: 0), Austria: 2-20,
Slovenia: 5-10
TOTAL: 35-40
Italia : 47, Switzerland: 1
Austria: ~5, Slovenia: 5-10
TOTAL: 45-55
Stable
Eastern Balkans Bulgaria: 700, Greece:30, Serbia: few
TOTAL: 720
Bulgaria: 550, Greece: 50, Serbia:
TOTAL: ~600
Stable or
decrease?
Abruzzo (Appenine) TOTAL: 40-80 TOTAL: 40 Stable
Cantabrian TOTAL: ~100 TOTAL: 200 Increase
Pyrenean TOTAL: 14-18 Spain: 25, France: 19
TOTAL: 25
Increase

9. Threat assessment relevant for
bears over all populations in
EuropeHABITAT
MANAGEMENT

10. populations
(and within each
population)
Alpine
†
†
Research: genetic, signs, telemetry
Management: strictly protected

11. Dinara-Pindos
Slovenia
Croatia
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Serbia
Monte
negro
Albania
Macedonia
Greece
440
Protected
Stable
Plan
1000
Quota
Increasing
Plan
550
Stable?
No plan
60
Increase?
(Plan) 270
Increase
No plan
190
Decreasing
No plan 180
Stable’
No plan
300
Stable
Plan
±
Research: Genetic, counts, telemetry / or NONE!
Management: Very various!

12. East Balkan
Rila-Rhodope
Stara Planina
±
Research: Genetic, counts, telemetry (small scale)
Management: Strictly protected, small quota!

13. Central Appenine
(Abruzzo)
Research: Genetic, counts, telemetry
Management: Strictly protected

14. Baltic
Research: Genetic, hunter’s counts
Management: Protected

15. Karelian
Research: Genetic, counts
Management: Quota hunting

16. Scandinavian
Research: Intensive telemetry, Genetic
Management: Quota hunting

17. ?
Research: Hunter’s counts
Management: Quota in Romania and Slovakia

18. Cantabria
Pyrenees
Research: Genetic, counts females
Management: Strictly protected
Research: Genetic, counts
Management: Strictly protected

19. Damage compensations
Costs per bear / year
(higher in smaller populations )
• 12.666 € in Norway
• 6114 € in the Pyrenees
• 3445 € in Abruzzo
• 1605€ in the Cantabrian Mountains
• 1371 € in the Italian Alps
• 555 € in Slovenia
• 511 € in Greece
• 102 € in Poland
• 45 € in Bulgaria
• 15 € in Estonia& Latvia
• 8 € in Slovakia
• 6.0 € in Croatia
• 3.6 € in Sweden

20. POPULATION IUCN
assessment:
Scandinavia LC
Karelian (in connection with Russia west of 35°E) LC
Baltic (in connection with the European Russia) LC
Carpathian NT
Dinaric-Pindos VU
Alps CE
Eastern Balkans VU
Central Apennine CE
Cantabrian CE
Pyrenean CE

21. Bears and people in Croatia
Improving coexistence of large carnivores and agriculture in S. Europe
Djuro Huber

23. Large
carnivore
action
plans5 species
Guidelines for Population
Level Management Plans
for Large Carnivores

24. Brief history
• In 1950s there were <100 bears
• Hunting started in 1960s
• There are 1000 bears now
To continue with trophy hunting
of the species that is on
- Red lists Bern Convention
- CITES
THE MAIN
CHALENGE
AND
to maintain positive
attitude of people

25. 1. Habitat preservation
2. Complying with international legislation
3. Avoidance of risks for humans and their
perty.
4. Determination and maintenance of desired bear
ulation size
5. Economic benefit for local residents through
ism and hunting
CROATIAN BEAR MANAGEMANT PLAN
- GOAL -
Maintenance of stable brown bear population
at the level that secure the long term surviva
coexistence with man.
SPECIFIC GOALS:

26. Biologically possible
POPULATION SIZE
The expected density in Croatia could be
10 individual / 100 km2
and locally up to 20/100 km2
Possible capacity is about 1100 individuals.
Desirable population size is provisionally set at 900 individuals.
Social (desirable)
CAPACITY

28. Vjerovanja o medvjedima -
štete
Medvjedi nanose velike štete na
usjevima i voćnjacima.

29. Vjerovanja o medvjedima -
turizam
Postojanje medvjeda u našoj
županiji povoljno utječe na
turizam.

30. Gospodarenje medvjedima -
lov
U Hrvatskoj treba dozvoliti
kontrolirani lov na medvjede.

31. ACTIONS
1. Monitoring
► POPULATION SIZE
AND TREND
► MORTALITY
DNA

32. Radiotelemetry
Since 1981: 41 radio tracked bears

35. 2.
Hunting• Hunting season: 1 Mar - 15 May & 1 Oct - 15 Dec
• Quota: (5) 10 (15) % of estimated population
• Hunting methods: from hunting stand next to a feeding
site
3. Supplemental feeding
With food of plant or animal origin

36. 2.
Hunting
Year Hunting Other losses Total
Plan Realize
d
Expect
ed
Occurre
d
2005. 80
31
(39%)
20
21
(105%
)
52 (52%)
2006. 70
49
(70%)
30
36
(120%
)
85 (85%)
2007. 70
50
(71%)
30 8 (27%) 58 (58%)
2008. 70
64
(91%)
30
47
(156%
111
(111%)
- Quota: (5) 10 (15) % of estimated population
- Hunting methods: from hunting stand next to a feeding site
- Hunting season: 1 March - 15 May & 16 Sep - 15 Dec

37. 4. Conservation of the
habitat
Effect on bear population should be evaluated for each development plan:
Transportation
Forestry
Agriculture
Sport and tourism

38. Ivačeno brdo
Rasnica
Rošca
Varošina
Osmakovac
Lendići
Konšćica
Vrankovića ograda Srednja gora
Medina gora
Implementation of measures

39. 5.
Garbage

40. 6. Problem
bears

41. 7. Bears and
tourism

42. Minimizing and compensating damag

43. Problem of LC damages
Prevention
Lethal control Compensation

44. 9. Public information and
participation

45. «Bear friendly» logo on local
products

46. 10. Bear emergency team
It is important to demonstrate to local people that all unusual
events around bears, and especially when there is a problem
situation, they are not left alone.

47. 11. International
cooperation
Slovenia and
Bosnia and Herzegovina
12. Revisions
of the plan
Action plan
– new each year
Management plan
- periodically

48. Arguments why the current
system is functioning
• 1. Bears have been hunted as game in Croatia since 1960s
and the population grew from less that 100 to over 1000.
• 2. Estimated population gowth rate is 4.8%.
• 3. Currently all those bears (1000) together produce in
average cost of 6000 EUR of damages per year. That is
incomparably less than any other carnivore in any country
that does pay the damages.
• 4. Trophy hunting of bears provides substantial income to
local hunting units and makes them interested to maintain
the good population.
• 5. Public attitude towards bears is very positive. It has
been seriously surveyed in 2002 and 2008.
• 6. There is very little poaching.
• 7. We have functioning continuous population monitoring,
Bear management plan, yearly Action plans, functioning
Bear management committee, and functioning Bear
emergency team.
• 8. Bears have value!

52. THANKS!