María Párraga, Marina Gaona, and Alicia Madrid, members of the technical and field team of the LIFE Human Bear Coex project coordinated by the FOP, visited the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park in the Italian Apennines to learn first‑hand about the actions being carried out under the LIFE Bear‑Smart Corridors project, coordinated by Rewilding Europe and whose activities also extend to the Greek bear population. Their goal: to foster the recovery of these endangered populations through measures that support their expansion and coexistence with local communities. Ours: to prevent and mitigate conflicts in villages and surrounding areas in order to promote coexistence between humans and bears in the municipalities with the highest density of this species in the Cantabrian Mountains. Two projects advancing toward the same purpose in different European settings.
During the visit, the team had the opportunity to explore the project in depth and observe its actions on the ground. By meeting with local ranchers, farmers, and beekeepers, they gained first‑hand insight into social perceptions of bears in the region, the preventive measures being implemented to protect henhouses, herds, orchards, and hives, and how effective these measures are. Together with technicians and rangers from the National Park, they also exchanged valuable ideas and best practices on conflict management and the importance of developing strategies that encourage awareness and participation across all levels of society.
Opportunities like this make it possible to continue taking coordinated and effective steps toward peaceful coexistence with an emblematic species that is gradually reclaiming its future, even in the small communities of southern Europe.