The Cantabrian brown bear population — once almost eliminated — is on the rebound, writes journalist Chris Fitch in the UK science magazine “Geographical”.
The feature, Bear in Mind, The return of Spain’s brown bear population, follows Fitch as he explores the nuances of human/bear interactions in Northern Spain from the 14th century to the present day.
A Cantabrian brown bear among cliffs in northern Spain. Photo: Shutterstock
Spain’s brown bears once lived as far south as Andalucía, on the Mediterranean coast, Fitch wrote. But increased hunting from the 1500s through 1973 — when Spain banned bear hunting nationally — reduced the population dramatically, leaving a small pocket of bears in the Cantabrian Mountains in the Asturias region.
Asturias, Spain. Map: Google Earth.
Even that population took another hit in the mid-90s, its population dropping as low as 50 individuals. That’s when Fundación Oso Pardo (the Brown Bear Foundation) began targeting Spain’s culture of illegal hunting. The organization removed traps and waged a social campaign to prevent poachers from installing new ones.
Now the Cantabrian brown bear population sits at around 400, roughly double what it was when Outside Magazine wrote a piece on the animals in 2016. According to Geographical, the population increases by about 30 individuals every year.
A rugged peak in the Cantabrian Mountains, Spain. Photo: Shutterstock
Fitch goes on to explain that the Brown Bear Foundation has shifted its attention. Instead of just anti-poaching activities, they also focus on public education and promoting human/bear cohabitation. Asturian beekeepers, in particular, are having run-ins with bears. The Brown Bear Foundation is tackling the issue with fence donations, tutorials, masterclasses, and more.
Population diversity challenges
Another challenge is connecting the subpopulations of bears to increase genetic diversity. Bear advocates responded by planting native cherry trees on farmland between the two subpopulations, luring the bears to new potential mates via tasty fruit.
The returning population provides an economic boom to the Asturias region, where bear-watching is an increasingly popular tourist activity. It seems that locals are approaching the issue sensibly, promoting bear watching as just one activity tourists can enjoy.
“We want you to see the bears, but we really want you to enjoy the nature in which the bears live, to get in touch with the people who are close to the bear, and get to know the local culture,” Tatiana Gonzalez, a marketing tourism coordinator in Asturias, told Fitch.
The entire article is worth a read. Check it out here.
