site.btaFourteen Camera Traps in Western Rhodopi Mountains to Monitor Bear Behaviour

The annual monitoring of the brown bear (Ursus arctos) will take place for a week starting October 21. The survey aims to establish trends in the distribution, presence and population of the species in Bulgaria, the Environment and Water Ministry  said.

Fourteen camera traps will be installed in the Western Rhodopi Mountains to collect data on the brown bear's day- and night-time activity over one month.

The monitoring teams will visit the main areas permanently inhabited by the species: the Rila, Pirin, Vitosha and Western Rhodopi Mountains, as well as the Central Balkan Range. During the fieldwork, information will be gathered on the size and type of tracks and other signs of bear activity, such as droppings, feeding behaviour and scent marking. Data on any threats to the species will also be recorded.

The results of the annual monitoring are entered into the database of the National Biodiversity Monitoring System. They are used for statistical assessment of the bear population, which is published in the National State of the Environment Report. The information also serves to assess the conservation status of the species in line with the requirements of the EU Habitats Directive, the Ministry said.

In parallel with the field observations, genetic samples continue to be collected under a pilot project for DNA monitoring of the species. This will make it possible to determine the population's size and structure with greater precision. The data obtained will be used to improve the conservation and management of brown bears and to reduce conflicts between humans and wildlife.

The monitoring of the brown bear is organized by the Monitoring of Biodiversity and Forest Ecosystems Department of the Executive Environment Agency. The process is carried out jointly with staff from state hunting and forestry enterprises of five regional state companies, as well as with employees of the Vitosha, Rila Monastery and Bulgarka Nature Parks, which are managed by the Executive Forestry Agency.

In September, the Environment Ministry warned that illegal waste dumps, feeding bear cubs and exposing bears to food other than their natural diet could lead to problem behaviour. The Ministry stressed that preventing bear-related damage depends on local action, enabling adequate measures to be taken to limit the animals' intrusion into mountain settlements where people and wildlife share habitats.