Line of action:

Drivers of biodiversity loss

Status:

Finalizado

Execution date:

2021

End date:

2022

Total budget:

73.089,00 €

Amount of aid from the Biodiversity Foundation:

33.353,88 €

With the increase of the brown bear population in the Iberian Peninsula, cases of problem bears (injured, sick or orphaned) have increased, with ten cases recorded since 2005 out of the fourteen documented since 1989. There are cases in which no action has been taken due to the absence of basic criteria on how to act in these situations.

Although there are some initiatives that have dealt with this issue, this project aims to strengthening knowledge and cooperation in the areas of capture, rehabilitation, release and monitoring of these specimens, and the communication and dissemination of these episodes, in order to contribute to the challenge of conserving the species in anthropized environments, where the number of cases is expected to continue to increase.

In addition, techniques for working with problem bears are not included in national strategies or in regional recovery plans, so work is also being done to incorporate this subject into these instruments.

The main objective is to develop a community network of cooperation between different agents aimed at establishing and implementing joint lines of work for the rehabilitation of brown bears with problems.

It has the following specific goals:

• Increase internal training and collect information on rehabilitation and management of bears in captivity in order to improve the knowledge of different aspects among the different agents involved.
• Provide training to agents of the different administrations involved in brown bear conservation and establish/strengthen links between them.
• Draft and disseminate work protocols related to the rehabilitation and management of brown bears in captivity, covering at least five areas: capture, clinical and psychological rehabilitation, release, monitoring and communication/social information.
• Establish a network for information exchange and cooperation on bear rehabilitation among agents involved in the conservation of the species in Europe.

• Bibliographic review of scientific articles on capture, rehabilitation, management, release and monitoring of brown bear cases, as well as related social communication issues.
• Review of casuistry of the last three decades in Spanish and European specimens.
• Agreement with the Arcturos Foundation for collaboration and exchange of information and experience.
• Drafting of a report to reflect the knowledge and experiences acquired after the stay in the brown bear rehabilitation facilities of the Arcturos Foundation in Greece, as well as the development of ideas for their implementation in the procedures and facilities that currently exist or are being planned in the Iberian Peninsula.
• Design and development of a seminar with experts in the management, rehabilitation and conservation of brown bears and the participation of guests from all national administrations, EU countries, NGOs and individuals.
• Collection of the contributions arising from the seminar and drafting of documentation for exchange with all the agents attending and others interested in the subject, in accordance with a working procedure and coordination team agreed upon during the seminar.
• Reception and incorporation of the conclusions of the participating agents and others, and final drafting of the protocols.
• Creation of a web space, both in Spanish and English, where to publish and share articles, news and different information about bear rehabilitation in the Iberian Peninsula and other parts of the world.
• Publication and distribution of documentation through written (notebook) and digital media (FOA website, Ursus Care website and social networks).
• Creation of communication spaces between different agents through digital media.
• Dissemination and communication of the project.

• The project has allowed the consolidation of an international network of information exchange and cooperation between different agents involved in brown bear rehabilitation, both in the Iberian Peninsula and in several European countries.
• The establishment of this network and the execution of the different actions carried out throughout the project have allowed the strengthening and exchange of knowledge among the different members, thus facilitating the development of action protocols for different practical cases related to the recovery of bears with problems.
• Specifically, the current situation of the rehabilitation of Cantabrian brown bears in the Iberian Peninsula has been studied in depth.
• The bibliographic review of the documentation available to date has made it possible to identify its weaknesses.
• The exchange of information and enrichment of knowledge has been promoted through stays in two European reference centers for the rehabilitation of brown bears, which have allowed the development of more complete and current protocols.
• A collaboration network has been created between those involved in bear rehabilitation at the European level, establishing different communication channels.
• A web page has been developed with public and informative information in order to bring it closer to the public in an attractive and interesting way.