By promoting harmonious relations between Marsican brown bears and humans, the bear ambassadors of the Central Apennines rewilding area in Italy are playing a vital role in the comeback of this iconic species.
Today rewilding is playing an increasingly important role connecting young people with wild nature. This spring and summer has seen a number of exciting educational events take place in the Central Apennines rewilding area.
The Central Apennines rewilding initiative was relaunched in the summer of 2018. Over the last 12 months, the development of wildlife corridors has provided a better platform for Marsican brown bear recovery.
The six-month collaboration with Amsterdam-based tech start-up Sensing Clues could help to mitigate human-bear conflict and improve the conservation of other wildlife species.
Located in the buffer zone of the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, the water tank, which has claimed the lives of five critically endangered bears in two separate incidents, has now been partially filled in. Work continues to identify other potentially dangerous tanks and wells.
By reconnecting isolated areas of wild nature, wildlife corridors are an effective method of enhancing biodiversity and boosting animal populations. Rewilding Europe, which is working to establish wildlife corridors in a number of its operational areas, believes rewilding can help to create an urgently needed, well-connected network of green and blue infrastructure right across Europe.
The new German study is good news for bear conservation in Europe, but has implications for rewilding and the mitigation of human-wildlife conflict.
A succession of European Erasmus+ students are now volunteering with Italian NGO Salviamo l’Orso. As they make an invaluable contribution to Marsican brown bear conservation in the Central Apennines rewilding area, they are also learning from their experience.
By distributing electric fences, safeguarding livelihoods and establishing trust, the Rewilding Apennines team and local partner Salviamo l’Orso are showing how humans and bears can live side by side.
The Central Apennines rewilding area in Italy will see Rewilding Europe and Rewilding Apennines work together in a new set up to develop this area as a prime example of European rewilding. One of the first steps is a cooperation with local NGO Salviamo l’Orso to help conserve and boost the critically endangered local population of Marsican brown bears.