By David Steinegger
Background
Brown bears had
been prevalent in the Pyrenees for thousands of years until the 20th
century. In the 1900s, some 150 bears roamed the habitat in the Pyrenees. The
population halved by the 1950s, as action was taken to protect farm livestock.
In the 1970s the French government
took action to protect bears, but this came too late, with almost all of the
bears disappearing. Various initiatives followed to grow the population,
including the transfer of brown bears from Slovenia, but this met with limited
success due to the small numbers involved.
In 2005 efforts were redoubled, and
the population gradually increased, helped by the employment of over 100 people
to help in conservation measures.
Bear habits and habitats
Bears have an extensive range with
male bears roaming territories as large as 500 square kilometres. They do this
in search of food, shelter, mates and more. In winter the bears hibernate for
around four months from late November to March, and typically do so in rocky
caves.
Bears are generally herbivorous but
the bear is also omnivorous. Diet includes fruit, vegetation, insects and wild
and domestic animals, both dead and alive.
Adapting to bears in the farming
community
Changes are happening in the
community to adapt to the presence of the bear. The sheep population in the
Pyrenees is estimated to be over half a million and hundreds of sheep are lost
each year to bear attacks. The French government pays compensation to the
farmers for any loss of animals due to such attacks. Various measures have been
put in place to minimise these losses including on location shepherds, sheep
dogs and selective use of electric fencing.
Size, weight and expected life span of
bears
The Pyrenees Brown bears can weigh up
to 300kgs for the males and up to 90 kgs for the females. Standing up their
height approaches 2 metres. Bears can typically live up to 25 years in the
wild.
So if you spot a bear …
Generally the bears will do all they
can to avoid humans. They have excellent sight and smell and will generally
disappear before you can spot them. If taken by surprise however they can react
adversely and pose a threat. Best advice is:
1.
Never attempt to come into close contact (less than 50m) with a bear
2.
Never follow bear tracks if you come across them.
3.
If you come across one, calmly make your presence known by moving or
talking slowly and quietly.
4.
Slowly distance yourself from the bear, avoiding the path the
bear is most likely to take in his flight from the encounter.
5.
Never, ever run.
Conclusion
If you go
down to the woods on our May 2018 trip, you had better not go alone. Because
even though you are a Lion, those bears can give you a scare!
David
Steinegger
11 April 2018