Documentary about bears
March 2nd, 2010
Interesting documentary from TVE about bears in the Cordillera Cantábrica with Guillermo Palomero, President of Fundación Oso Pardo. Watch here
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Articles in ‘bears’
Interesting documentary from TVE about bears in the Cordillera Cantábrica with Guillermo Palomero, President of Fundación Oso Pardo. Watch here
Interview with Roberto Hartasánchez
January 28th, 2010 Interview with Roberto Hartasánchez, the president of FAPAS on Spanish National radio. An interesting ten minute overview of bears, the serious impact of the disappearance of bees, and the state of conservation of the Cantabrian Mountains in general. Listen here.Good news from Palencia
December 5th, 2009
A “new” reproductive female bear with two cubs has been found in Palencia, part of the beleaguered Eastern Cantabrian bear population. With only 30 odd individuals, this population is in a critical state, with at the last count, only two breeding females. In 2008 three cubs were born to the two females only one of which survived, one having been lost to infanticide and the other dying from unknown causes. This discovery of a third female and her two cubs of this year is raises hope for the bears’ future in this region. From Lisa on PicosdeEuropa and originally from nortecastilla.es. (above photo with bear and cubs). This autumn have may been a good one for Cantabrian bears thanks to the mild conditions and plentiful fruit.
Contrasting attitudes towards bears
November 26th, 2009
Interesting long article on bears in El Pais contrasting the acceptance of bears in Asturias with the general opposition in the Pyrenees. Read
Villarina doing well
November 20th, 2009
Villarina the bear cub discovered by tourists in Somiedo and later returned to the wild is doing well a year later, having survived last year’s harsh winter without the experince gained from its mother. She is apparentlly healthy, fat and weighing some 50kg. More from Fapas
No livestock killed by bears in Catalonia
November 7th, 2009 The improved protection for shepherds and herders in Catalonia has meant for the third year running no livestock has been lost to bear attacks. FapasThe Pyrenees need more bears
October 30th, 2009 A new French study has shown that at least 13 bears should be released in the Pyrenees in the near future if the species has any chance of becoming viable. La Mañana On another story, Camille, one of only two bears in Navarra has killed four sheep in Roncal, as he fattens up for hibernation. HereTimid French support for bears?
October 23rd, 2009 France has promised to “replace” any bears killed by hunters in the Pyrenees as part of its commitment to the animal, but does not seem likely to release any additional bears. Whether this means that the four bears killed in the last decade are to be replaced is still unclear. Fapas With only 20 odd animals in the range, freezing the reintroduction programme in this way may very well lead to its extinction.Pyrenees bear hunt
October 23rd, 2009
I came across this rather harrowing photo in a book review of Historie de l’ours dans les Pyrénées in El Pireneo Digital. It was taken in 1928 after a hunt in Urdós, Valle de Aspe across the border in France. In 1935, some 200 bears still survived in the Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees. The last bear steak was offered in restaurant in French Pyrenees in 1960. A ban on hunting came in Spain in 1967 and in France several years later. Today, with just 20 odd animals in the entire Pyrenees – most of which were brought from the Balkans, further reintroduction is the only way of re-creating a viable population of bears in the range.
Future of Pyrennean bears in doubt
October 21st, 2009 Without further reintroductions, the low number of bears in the Pyrenees (15-20 odd) make the conservation of the species inviable. For the time being, the French government has no plans to continue its reintroduction plans. Public support for bears in Catalonia is as high as 80%, but strong local opposition particularly in the Vall de Aran prevents any reintroduction programme from this side of the mountain range. Fapas from La Mañana de LleridaLatest news from Fapas
October 20th, 2009
Fapas have released their latest news bulletin with an interesting selection of news on carrions, vultures and bears. In the picture a bear tucks into a cow. Read
Pyrenean bear map
August 28th, 2009I thought this map from Fapas showing the latest bear numbers in the Pyrenees was interesting
Cantabrian bear groups rejoined
August 18th, 2009
Great news from biologists at Oviedo University; they now have positive DNA tested proof that two young bears are the progeny of a female bear from the east and a male from the west. Two hair/faeces samples taken in Redes Natural Park (Asturias) in November last year found two siblings, one male and of one unidentified sex. Another sample taken this spring in the Picos de Europa National Park has confirmed the analysis. More on this soon. Europa Press
- Above map from Wikipedia
Many thanks to Lisa on the forum for letting me know about this news, which is key to guaranteeing genetic diversity for Cantabrian bears, whose twin populations were separated more than 60 years ago.
Increase in brown bear population
July 27th, 2009
Good news – in part. The population of brown bears in the Cantabrian Mountains continues to grow. According to the latest bear census, a total of 19 female bears raised 37 cubs last year. The census was carried out in Asturias, Cantabria and Castilla y León by the Fundación Oso Pardo. However, the situation in the eastern populations of bears straddling Cantabria and Castilla y León continues to be “worrying”. Of the 37 cubs raised, just three cubs were raised in this area. The rest were raised by bears in the far healthier western population. El Mundo
In demonstration of the improved situation of bears in the western area, the World Conservation Union has just reduced the classification of the bears in this area from “Critically endangered” to “Endangered”. La Nueva España
The rainfall records for Spain keep tumbling. According to the latest provisional figures 
I’ve just come across 
Three Iberian lynxes of the captive breeding programme have died in recent weeks from a renal disease. Lynxes in the wild are thought not to suffer from this disease.