Maria Papazekou

Range expansion by the Marsican brown bear (Ursus arctos marsicanus) in central Italy and the brown bear (Ursus arctos) in Greece depends on functional ecological corridors. However, corridor functionality can be undermined by negative human–bear interactions and poor coexistence conditions. Under the LIFE Bear-Smart Corridors project (LIFE20 NAT/NL/001107), six Bear Intervention Units (BIUs) operated to reduce human–bear conflict: four in the Central Apennines and two in Greece (Trikala-Meteora and Amyntaio). BIUs are locally organised, protocol-guided, non-statutory rapid-response teams established through community engagement within Bear Smart Communities. They receive reports of human–bear interactions, assess urgency, and address low- and medium-risk cases through non-lethal prevention, de-escalation, follow-up and community support. They also assist competent authorities and serve as local support mechanisms for institutionalised Bear Emergency Teams, which retain responsibility for the most complex and dangerous cases. This complementary structure aims to prevent escalation, reduce recurrent conflict and retaliatory actions, and improve coexistence and corridor functionality. Between 2022 and 2026, the BIUs conducted 424 georeferenced operational activities. Fifty-seven activities were classified as emergencies and received an immediate response, while most other activities were addressed within 24 hours. The most frequent operational contexts were conflicts involving livestock or domestic animals (n = 147), poisoning incidents or risks (n = 83), and damage to crops, orchards or gardens (n = 70). Mitigation approaches differed markedly among areas. The Central Apennines relied primarily on fencing and structural protection; Trikala-Meteora emphasised assessment, mortality response and settlement management; and Amyntaio combined deterrent measures with anti-poison preparedness. These findings indicate that BIUs can provide a transferable framework for rapid response and conflict mitigation across the brown bear’s range, provided that interventions are adapted to local conflict conditions.

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