Involving local communities is essential for coexisting with wildlife. At the Iba conference, we gathered success stories from around the world.
There are eight species of bears in the world: the brown bear (Ursus arctos), the polar bear (Ursus maritimus), the American black bear (Ursus americanus), the Asian black bear (Ursus thibetanus), the Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus), the sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), the sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) and the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Most of these species are classified as vulnerable or endangered, primarily due to habitat loss and conflicts with human activities. In territories increasingly transformed by human presence, the spaces frequented by bears and those used by people overlap. For this reason, coexistence ceases to be a choice and becomes a necessity.
On this basis, hundreds of researchers, experts, protected area managers, institutions and organisations from around the world gathered in Pescasseroli, in the heart of the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, for the 29th edition of the most important international event for bear research, conservation and management, the Iba conference (International association for bear research and management). The aim is to share knowledge and experiences, and this year's edition placed coexistence at its very centre, bringing together scientific research, on-the-ground interventions and the involvement of local communities. And it did so in the place — the central Apennines — that in recent years has become a participatory laboratory for coexistence. In Pescasseroli we met those who work and live in territories inhabited by bears, and gathered experiences from different parts of the world that show how community involvement contributes to bear conservation.
Every time we set foot in the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, it feels as though time slows down. It is a sensation we find above all when we come into contact with the daily work of those who deal with coexistence between people and wildlife — a process made up of continuous adjustments to prevent and reduce conflicts. But what does conflict actually mean, in concrete terms? It depends on who is experiencing it. For a farmer or a livestock breeder it can mean losing part of their herd or their harvest. For the residents of a village frequented by bears, safety and the management of shared spaces come into play. For researchers and organisations engaged in conservation, it means reckoning with animal mortality and the risks facing an already threatened population. Institutions and protected area managers, finally, find themselves having to reconcile these different needs.
In this sense, Alexandra Zimmermann, a conservation scientist specialising in human-wildlife conflict resolution, explains to us: "people often talk about conflicts between humans and wildlife, but in reality the conflicts are between people with different interests. There are different values, cultures and histories that often come into conflict with one another." For this reason, defining what it means to live alongside and coexist with wildlife is not straightforward or, at the very least, cannot be captured in a single, precise definition. "Coexistence is not the exact opposite of conflict. Because the opposite of conflict would be a kind of perfect, utopian condition, but society and nature do not work that way," Zimmermann continues. "Coexistence is a situation in which conflict or any kind of tension is contained and acceptable to all parties, human and non-human alike."
If coexistence requires taking into account different needs and interests, it becomes essential to involve in decision-making all the people, organisations and stakeholders who share the territory with bears and other species. It is on this principle that the Bear-smart communities experience has developed in the central Apennines.
Bear-smart communities were established, inspired by the Canadian model, to directly involve those who live and work in territories frequented by the Marsican brown bear — a subspecies of brown bear that is endangered and endemic to the central Apennines — and to contribute to its conservation.
"Bear-smart communities are the tool for working with people," Daniela D'Amico, head of communications at the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, tells us. "Coexistence is a fundamental part of conservation, and it cannot do without people, the communities that inhabit the territories, who are its heart."
"Coexistence also grows out of dialogue with those who know the territory, who experience it every day and understand its difficulties," adds Serena Frau, project manager and head of relations with local communities and stakeholders at the association Salviamo l'Orso. "A community truly becomes bear-smart when it does not simply tolerate the bear's presence but acquires the collective capacity to manage it responsibly."
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The first community was established in 2015 in Pettorano sul Gizio, in Abruzzo, and since then the experience has expanded to other municipalities. At the heart of each community are local committees, which bring together residents, administrations, associations and representatives of economic activities to identify the challenges and opportunities linked to the presence of bears, draw up coexistence plans and agree on the necessary interventions.
Over the past five years this work has been developed through the European project LIFE Bear-Smart Corridors, which has led to the establishment of 16 bear-smart communities in the central Apennines and two in Greece. The aim is to facilitate bear movements along ecological corridors, reducing risks in the territories they pass through and creating favourable areas for their settlement. This is particularly important work for the Marsican brown bear, which is expanding its range beyond its historic core area.
"By working on the ground we apply the principles of proximity conservation," Valeria Barbi, head of communications at Salviamo l'Orso, tells us. "This means, first and foremost and in practical terms, 'being there'. It requires a constant presence on the ground, capable of listening to people's needs, preventing conflicts and identifying concrete solutions."
This project was the reason the Iba chose to bring this year's edition to the wild heart of Italy, and its conclusion coincided with the days of the conference, where its results were presented: more than 700 damage-prevention measures distributed (electric fences, chicken coops and gates), over 150 bear-proof bins, and 82 kilometres of abandoned barbed wire removed. Beyond these interventions, the project made it possible to consolidate the work of monitoring, prevention and engagement of local communities, thanks to the organisations Rewilding Apennines, Rewilding Europe, Salviamo l'orso, the Parco nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise and all the volunteers. "From these years of work on the project we have learnt that perfection does not exist, that the approach we adopt is an adaptive one, because conditions are always changing," explains Mario Cipollone, team leader of Rewilding Apennines. "We have learnt that we need to work ever more on a culture of prevention, so that we act before damage occurs. And above all, that change takes a very long time. That is why the project ends on paper, but continues on the ground."
Walking through the small village of Villetta Barrea, the only municipality within the boundaries of the Parco nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise to have become a bear-friendly community (6 are in the contiguous zone and the others in the corridor zones), the daily relationship with wildlife is immediately apparent. Signs remind residents and visitors how to behave in the presence of bears (do not leave food unattended, keep your distance), while bear-proof bins prevent the animals from accessing food waste. Encounters with deer in the streets and among the houses of the village are not uncommon either. During our visit, in the midst of the rutting season, we were greeted by the passage of several individuals and the sound of their roaring.
