The story of the Iberian brown bear is one of most encouraging in recent times for species conservation. In a world in which human folly is leading to extinctions and plummeting populations of wildlife, it is significant to note that it was the actions of mankind which nearly wiped out the brown bear in Spain, but then brought about the remarkable reversal in the decline of this iconic subspecies through protection programmes.
At the end of the 1980s it seemed that nothing could save the Iberian brown bear from going the same way as its cousins that lived in other Western European countries. Extinction beckoned for this unique animal which is native to Iberia and smaller than the brown bears which inhabit the east of the continent. Numbers had dwindled to just 90 as the actions of hunters and farmers coupled with the indifference of the authorities took their toll.
It was the Asturias regional government, together with ecologist groups, who decided to draw a line in the sand and ensure that the brown bear would survive in Spain. Their policies and investment over the last 35 years – coupled with government and EU support – have borne fruit and the population of this magnificent animal has recovered. And while the stronghold of the Iberian brown bear had been in Asturias, there are now more of them living in neighbouring Castilla y León region. They have also crossed over the border into the mountains of Galicia, further increasing their range; and a smaller sub-population in Cantabria is starting to thrive.
Figures collated by the four regions in Spain which are home to these unique animals show that there are approximately 370 of them in the wild. This is an increase of around 40 from the previous count. It should also be noted that the last in depth population study was carried out in 2020; and research since then shows the number of cubs being born is increasing year on year, so it is possible that the current number could be over 400.
The survival of the Iberian bear, which lives predominately in mountainous areas, is now seen as vital. For this to be achieved, it enjoys the highest level of protection. Aid provided for injured or lost young bears is helping to make a difference.
Spain’s brown bear foundation – the Fundación Oso Pardo (FOP) – gives regular updates on cubs which have been rescued. Special recovery centres have been set up to treat the bears. In one recent case they reported on a young bear named Cova which was released back into the wild in Asturias region. She was found on a road in Yernes y Tameza, aged three months old and weighing just 1.9 kilos. She had become separated from her mother; and the name she was given relates to the cave where she lived before the family was uprooted. The cub was taken to the rescue centre in Cantabria for treatment and to undergo a recovery programme. Afterwards she was moved to the special brown bear acclimitisation centre in Valsemana (León), where she spent time with another young bear in order to help with socialisation and to improve survival skills. At the time of her release, Cova had reached a weight of 32 kilos, which ‘improved her possibilities to adapt to the natural world’. She was fitted with a microchip and GPS tracking device to allow the authorities to monitor her progress.
Another young bear who received treatment was named Martín. He had suffered trauma injuries and may have been hit by a car. Aged four months old, he was found by walkers who contacted the emergency services and the same protocol was put into action. He was nursed by vets and regained the use of his back legs, before being transferred to Valsemana to re-acclimatise to the natural environment. Finally he was able to return to the Cantabrian mountains.
Pyrenees
Tragically, there are no native Iberian brown bears left in the Pyrenees, as they were hunted out of existence. Adequate protection came too late and European brown bears, which are larger than the Iberian variety, have been introduced, most of them around the France/Spain border. They came from Slovenia and Slovakia, with the programme starting in 1996 and becoming consolidated in the following decade.
The population has become established and continues to grow. The FOP revealed recently that 83 bears had been counted in 2023, which was four more than in the previous year. According to their provisional figures, 16 cubs were born to 11 mothers during 2023, which is the largest number since the programme began.
The Pyrenees population is separated from the native bears by a distance of around 250km. The European bears can be found in the provinces of Navarra, Huesca and Lleida, as well as Andorra and France. In 2023 forest rangers counted 40 males, 37 females and six bears whose sex could not be identified.
The FOP noted that the population has undergone an encouraging recovery; the range of the bears is gradually increasing and they have now been detected over an area of 7,100 square kilometres in the Pyrenees.
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