Local communities lead efforts to coexist with bears in Italy and beyond

Researchers, conservationists, and local residents gathered in Pescasseroli, Italy, for the 29th International Bear Association (Iba) conference to discuss living alongside bear species.

The meeting focused on how human communities can manage the overlap between human spaces and wildlife habitats, which is becoming a necessity as natural areas are increasingly transformed by human activity. The conference highlighted the "Bear-smart communities" model, which originated in Canada and inspired similar initiatives in the Central Apennines of Italy.

These communities involve residents, local governments, and businesses in identifying risks and creating shared coexistence plans. In the Italian Apennines, the project has established 16 bear-smart communities and two in Greece. These groups work to facilitate bear movement along ecological corridors while reducing risks to livestock and crops. Local residents in Villetta Barrea, a village inside the Parco nazionale d’Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise, participate in active measures like collective fruit harvesting to prevent bears from entering residential areas.

Other residents use electric fences and guard dogs to protect their sheep and beehives. These efforts have resulted in the distribution of over 700 damage prevention measures, including electrified fences, bear-resistant trash bins, and the removal of 82 kilometers of abandoned barbed wire. Experts at the conference emphasized that coexistence is not a perfect state but a process of managing tensions through local involvement.

The goal is to ensure that people living with bears are active participants in decision-making rather than just subjects of conservation policies. While the specific European project is ending, the local communities continue to manage their territories through ongoing cultural and physical adaptations.