The entire wolf population in Norway and Sweden is based on three individuals that immigrated before 1990. Since then the population has increased to its present level of 140-160. However, recent research has shown that there are signs of inbreeding depression in the population - implying that its long term viability is dependent on the arrival of fresh genes from the neighbouring Finnish-Russian population. Although immigrants have been detected in northern Scandinavia on a regular basis, none have managed to survive the journey to southern Scandinavia where the wolf population occurs. In the last few weeks it has been confirmed through DNA analysis of scats that a new immigrant has finally made the journey and has reached the areas were its genes are needed.

Read the press release from the Scandinavian wolf project.

Read the latest status report for wolves in Scandinavia.

Read a report on genetic aspects of viability in wolf populations.

Read a paper on wolf dispersal and the origins of Scandinavian wolves.

20.06.07

New report - "Status and distribution of European mammals"

This new report by the IUCN provides an overview of the status and threat levels of all species of European mammals, including the large carnivores. The report was produced as part of the European Mammal Assessment funded by the European Commission.

The project has produced a report, a press release, a score sheet for species status and a media brief on threats and extinction [Link].

In addition, there is a project website with a database for each species' threat status [Link].

15.06.07

European court ruling on wolf control in Finland

The European court has handed down a ruling on case Case C-342/05 concerning Finland's use of wolf hunting as a means of preventing damage. The ruling is complex and although it finds Finland guilty of violating some aspects of the habitats directive, it also rejects several points of the European Commission's case. The violation concerns a failure to document the conflict reducing effect of the practice of shooting a limited number of wolves each year, rather than being a direct critique of the principle of the practice per se.

[Link to EU website]

[Link to pdf of rulings]

01.05.07

A new Large Carnivore Education Centre for Bulgaria

A Large Carnivore Education Centre in Bulgaria opened its doors in the beginning of May. A team from two nature conservation organizations, the BALKANI Widlife Society and the SEMPERVIVA Society, has been working for years to reach this goal. The centre is located in the Pirin Mountains, which are a national park and a UNESCO site. The centre consists of exhibition halls on two floors. In addition, there is a hall with 50 seats and multi-media capability, a cafe and a souvenir shop. The four large carnivore species, which are present in Bulgaria, the gray wolf, the brown bear, the lynx and the golden jackal, are the main focus of the centre. However, there is information about other large carnivores, as well as about nature conservation in general. There are two ambassadors animals at the moment as an integral part of the LC centre. These are a socialized wolf and bear, which live in large enclosures above the village. You can read more about the LC centre and the work on large carnivore studies in Bulgaria at www.balkani.org and www.Education4Conservation.org. Realizing the LC Centre was supported by the Darwin Initiative, the Anglian Wolf Society, German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) and the European Natural Heritage Fund - EURONATUR. Our partners are Education4Conservation (UK) and ENEA (Germany).

 For further information contact Elena Tsingarska – project coordinator (elena_ts@mail.bg)

13.03.07

Large carnivores and agriculture: comparing experiences across Italy and Europe

This two day conference eas held in Assisi, Italy on the 9th and 10th of March, 2007. Day 1 focused on Italy and day 2 focused on the rest of Europe. the conference explored the nature of conflict between large carnivores and livestock and reviewed methods to compensate or mitigate these conflicts.

Conference website [Link]

Conference abstracts [Link]

10.03.07

European large carnivores are featured in the journal "Science" and the EU's Natura 2000 newsletter

Two publications have recently profiled large carnivore conservation in Europe. The first was in the November 3rd 2006 issue of the prestigous journal Science that ran an article called "The carnivore comeback" [Link 1.1MB], while the second was the February 2007 issue of the EU DG Environment's Natura 2000 newsletter which was dedicated to "Europe's large carnivores" [Link 3.6 MB]. This shows an increasing international awareness of the level of conservation activity that is focusing on European carnivores. Refreshingly, both offer realistic views of the situation, underlining the challenges, opportuinities, conflicts and potential solutions. It was flattering that the LCIE were mentioned in both issues, and that our website was featured in the same issue of Science.

15.02.07

"Whose afraid of the big bad wolf" - a conference on communication and wolf conservation, Berlin, Germany

There was a one day conference (Wer hat angst vorm bösen wolf?) in Berlin on the 13th of February organised by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety on the topic of communication and wolf conservation. The focus was especially aimed at exploring ways to communicate objective information about the low level of danger that wolves pose for human safety. There were presentations by scientists, hunters, media experts and high profile wolf conservationists, including Hélène Grimaud a French concert pianist / wolf conservationist. The days powerpoint presentations are available online at www.bmu.de/artenschutz/aktuell/doc/38379.php

22.01.07

A new awareness raising project for large carnivores in the EU.

The EU have just awarded a new projest to Institute of Applied Ecology (IEA), Rome, acting on behalf of the LCIE. The project is entitled "Awareness raising campaign on large carnivores" and is a follow-up to the soon to be completed project "Guidelines for population level management plans for large carnivores" [Link]. The main activities within the new project include; (1) workshops in EU states that have large carnivores to facilitate dialogue concerning large carnivore management, specifically within the context of population level management plans, (2) a pan-European conference on large carnivore management, (3) preperation of an exibition on large carnivores and their conservation.

01.11.06

Bear translocated in Serbia

Serbia constitutes part of the distribution of two brown bear populations. In the west it overlaps with the Dinaric-Pindos population that stretches down the western Balkans from Slovenia to Greece. In the east there are a few bears in the mountains that form the very southwestern end of the Carpathian range. However, this bear population is relatively isolated because it is seperated by the Danube river from the rest of the Carpathian range. In an effort to reinforce this eastern population plans have been made to translocated a few bears from the west to the east during the coming years. On the 30th of October a single 103 kg male (named Djura) was live-captured in the west of Serbia and translocated the 250 km to the east. More releases are planned for next spring. A photograph is included in the gallery as the November image.

25.10.06

Iberian lynx killed in traffic accidents

Last week another Iberian lynx was killed in a traffic accident close to Donana National Park in southern Spain. This brings to 5 the number of lynx killed in the region this year alone. Donana is home to one of only two remaining populations of Iberian lynx. While lynx are doing relatively well in the park, the suitability of habitat outside the park is poor because of the development of tourist and transport infrastructure and intensive agriculture.

04.09.06

One up and one down for bears in the Pyrenees

On a positive note France has released a 5th bear in the Pyrenees. The 112 kg adult female, named Sarousse, was live captured in Slovenia and released close to the village of Arban in the French Pyrenees on the 21st of August. This completes the planned round of releases. However, one the of the female bears, Palouma, released earlier in the spring was found dead on September 4th, apparently having fallen off a cliff.

23.08.06

Successful large carnivore symposium

From 22nd to the 26th of August the Hungarian city of Eger hosted the first European Congress on Conservation Biology. Almost 1000 delegates attended. On the 23rd of August a one day symposium - "Conserving large carnivore in European landscapes: the challenge and opportunity of coexistence" - was hosted by the Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe. A total of 17 talks focused on the 5 European large carnivore species, and a wide range of topics related to their conservation. [Abstracts 0.1MB]

14.08.06

New carnivore projects in the Balkans

The Dinaric-Pindos mountains that run down the western edge of the Balkan peninsula from Slovenia to Greece contains the second largest population of bears and wolves in Europe, as well as the only population of the highly endangered Balkan lynx (often regarded as an own subspecies). This year a number of new research and conservation projects have started that should greatly improve their conservation outlook.

Firstly, the Research Council of Norway has awarded 450.000 euro to a four year (2006-2009) project led by the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) that will focus on bears and lynx in Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Albania and Macedonia. The project involves 9 partner organisations in the region and will focus on surveying the status of carnivore populations, as well as investigating conflicts and attitudes that people have towards the species.

Secondly, the Swiss MAVA foundation have awarded a grant to KORA (Switzerland) and Euronatur (Germnay)to develop a lynx conservation project in Albania and Macedonia. The project will focus on surveying the distribution and density of lynx populations as well as establishing transboundary protected areas. This project will run from 2006 to 2009.

Thirdly, Slovenia and Croatia have secured a grant of 250.000 euro from the EU's Interreg program to develop a conservation plan for lynx. Activites will focus on mapping lynx distribution, running education activities and developing a management plan.

When combined these projects, which are being coordinated, will greatly improve the the capacity of regional actors and improve our knowledge of the major conservation issues facing large carnivores in the region.

26.06.06

Bear, JJ1, shot in Germany

The bear JJ1 has been shot in Bavaria. He was born in northern Italy and has been travelling around the border area of Austria and Germany since early May (see previous news item). During this time his behaviour has been considered to be dangerous because of his lack of shyness of humans and the fact that he has been repeatedly approaching human habitation searching for food. This behaviour has led to the death of 11 sheep, 6 chickens and 4 pigeons. It is not the amount of damage that has caused conservationists to be concerned. Rather it is the risk that this behaviour will lead to an unfortunate encounter with people, which in the worst case could lead to somebody being harmed. The fact that JJ1 was constantly moving made it impossible to implement any aversive conditioning techniques. According to the established bear management plan that has been operating in Austria for several years this behaviour would require that the bear be removed from the wild. In recent weeks a bear emergency team from Finland tried to live capture him, but failed. Following their departure the decision was made to kill the bear. On the 26th of June he was shot. The killing has been very controversial and has sparked heated debates between managers and conservationists, and between the governments of Italy, Austria and Germany. However, bear experts in the region stressed the fact that the bear was killed in accordance with an existing plan that is designed to foster tolerance between bears and people. They underline that most bears exibit behaviour that allows them to live close to people, but some bears develop behaviour that makes them potentially dangerous. JJ1 apparently learned this problem behaviour from his mother in Italy, because she has been involved in the vast majority of conflicts that have been caused in the region since their reintroduction in the late 1990's.

07.06.06

A bear visits western Austria and Germany.

During May a bear has been travelling extensively through western Austria, and even into Bavaria in Germany. Although Austria has had a small bear population for more than 15 years, this was the first bear in Germany for 170 years. However, the bear has been causing a range of conflicts, killing livestocks, destroying beehives and showing little fear of people. It's initial welcome in Germany did not last more than a few days, and German authorities decided that it should be removed. Because live capturing a bear that is travelling so far an fast is very difficult, the German authorities were willing to allow hunters to shoot the bear. This decision has been very controversial. After a week with no new sightings, more dead sheep were discovered in Germany this week. The general opinion of experts in the region is that this bear is potentially dangerous to people becasue he is not showing appropriate responses to humans. At present attempts are being made to remove the bear either by shooting him or by live-capturing him. It is a young male bear that has dispersed from the Trentino area of northern Italy, where bears were reintroduced in the 1990's. [Link] [Map]

This is not the first bear from the Italian reintroduction who has travelled far and wide. In 2001, a female bear called Vida left the reintroduction site and travelled extensively in the Italian Alps, before crossing into the Austrian province of Tyrol in 2002, passing close to Insbruck and crossing several highways enroute. Details are available in a report [German 1.2MB].

06.05.06

Bear releases in the French Pyrenees

During April and May 3 female bears, live captured in Slovenia, have been released in the French Pyrenees. The females, called Palouma, Francka and Hvala were released on April 25th, April 28th and May 16th. The first release was interupted by protesters, forcing the release team to choose a second release site. Also a law suit created a short halt in releases - but  on May 9th the French Supreme Court rejected the law suit and concluded that releases could continue. On June 1st a male bear, called Balou, was also released.

Details of the French conservation plan for bears in the Pyrenees are available on the L'Ours Pyrénées homepage [Link], and in the Conservation Plan for the period 2006-2009 [French 4.6MB]

20.04.06

Success with Iberian lynx captive breeding

Two Iberian lynx females (called Aliaga and Saliega) have given birth, to two kittens each, in the El Acebuche captive breeding centre, Doñana National Park, Spain. The first litter was born on 23rd March and the second on 13th April. These represent the second and third litters born in captivity. The Iberian lynx is the world's most endangered cat species, and these births represent a significant step forward in conservation plans. [More resources] [Link]

29.03.06

Funding for Balkan large carnivores

The Research Council of Norway have just awarded 430.000 euro to a research and capacity building project focused on large carnivores in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Albania and Macedonia.

01.03.06

Large carnivore symposium at the 1st European Congress of Conservation Biology, Hungary, August 2006.

The LCIE is hosting a whole day symposium entitled "Conserving Large Carnivores in European Landscapes: the challenge and opportunity of coexistence" within 1st European Congress of Conservation Biology being held in Eger, Hungary, 22-26th August 2006. The goal of the symposium is twofold. Firstly, we aim to provide an overview of some selected aspects of large carnivore conservation in Europe. Secondly, we hope to build bridges to other conservation activities in Europe. [Link]

01.02.06

A new status and new logo for the LCIE

The LCIE is now officially a Working Group within the IUCN's Species Survival Commission. This is the first time we have actually had official legal status. To mark the transition we have replaced our old logo (which served us from 1996) with a new one.

Old logo                              New logo

15.12.05

Guidelines for transboundary management of large carnivores

The EU have just awarded a contract to develop guidelines for transboundary management plans for large carnivores. The goal is encourage the management of carnivores inbiologically realistic populations rather than within administrative borders. The contract has gone to four institutes that work closely with the LCIE - the Institute of Applied Ecology, Italy, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Norway, KORA, Switzerland and Callisto, Greece.

16.09.05

Wolves in the Alps

A new map of wolf distribution in the Alps (France, Italy & Switzerland) for winter 2003-2004 has been produced by the wolf alpine group. Map 0.2MB