Brown bears went extinct in Białowieża Forest in the end at the 19th century. The last bear was killed in 1879, exactly 140 years ago. Since then, bears have been visiting Białowieża sporadically, but never staying.

Europe is currently home to large, and generally expanding, populations of wolves, brown bears and Eurasian lynx. Keeping track of their distribution and numbers is a task far beyond the capability of any research project. In many countries of northern and eastern Europe the hunters represent the backbone of extensive monitoring programs. The enormous effort that they often invest is one of the least appreciated partnerships in European conservation..