site.btaGenetic Monitoring of Bulgaria's Brown Bear Population to Be Conducted for First Time

For the first time in Bulgaria, genetic monitoring of brown bears will be carried out to conserve and manage the species, the Ministry of Environment and Water said in a press release Thursday. The DNA tests will be carried out in Slovenia, in one of the best laboratories for this kind of research.

The project will be implemented in cooperation with the Executive Environment Agency (EEA), forestry enterprises, and national parks, and will be funded under Environment Programme 2021-2027.

The project will be carried out within two years. Representatives of the EEA and forestry enterprises are receiving training in Slovenia on how to collect excreta samples, store them and submit the data. Samples will be collected this year from the whole country and sent for analysis and processing. The DNA method is the state-of-the-art way to monitor a species' population and determine its size, the Environment Ministry said.

The brown bear is the species with the highest protection in Bulgaria and Europe. According to the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Flora and Fauna, the brown bear is under strict protection. This requirement was transposed in Bulgarian law by listing the species in Appendix 3 of the Biodiversity Act back in 2002. Since 2007, the Environment Ministry has implemented a mechanism for reporting, identifying and paying for damage caused by brown bears to domestic animals and apiaries.

“Affected owners should report to the nearest town hall or state forestry on the day the damage is discovered or on the first working day after the attack,” the Ministry of Environment and Water recalls. It is important to establish that the damage was caused by a brown bear, so the tracks at the site of the attack must not have been obliterated and the situation must not have changed.

In areas with a higher number of bears, such as the Rhodope Mountains, there is a special rapid response group that responds to reports of damage and assists local people. It is made up of local residents, veterinarians who are trained to identify the damage and the possible measures to be taken.

The Environment Ministry urges that precautions be taken when keeping domestic animals and beehives in brown bear territories. Dumpsites pose a potential danger of direct bear-human contact and unwanted accidents, so they should be fenced off, the Ministry advises. The most effective method is the installation of an electric fence. Feeding of cubs, especially near settlements, is also dangerous, warns the Ministry.