PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Brown bears (Ursus arctos) were hunted to extinction in Austria in the late 1800s. One migrant individual from Slovenia wandered into the Styrian-Lower Austrian border area in 1972. By the late 1990s there were around 25-30 bears living in the Austrian mountains. Locals were concerned that the bears would approach settlements and were causing damage (for example to bee hives). Two bears were shot in 1994.
OBJECTIVES
A management plan was needed to conserve the bears in Austria, partly by protecting habitat, and partly by getting people used to having bears in the area. The aim was to establish a population of at least 50 bears in Austria that could reach other bear populations and form a meta-population. Increased public acceptance would be achieved through measures for preventing damage and compensation. A rapid reaction force would be established to deal with problems and avoid danger to people.
The management plan was to be produced by the project team, consisting of the three conservation bodies, WWF, the "Wildbiologische Gesellschaft München" and the "Institut für Wildbiologie und Jagdwirtschaft".
RESULTS
The Austrian brown bear population increased by 10% over the project period. A Co-ordination Unit supported by five states was established to deliver the management plan drawn up by the project in February 1997. This plan included strategic and operational means of reducing conflict between bears and people. Strategic means included education, fencing and compensation for damage caused by bears; while operational means included a ‘rapid response’ capability.
A total of 150 electric fences were erected to protect property (e.g. bee hives).
Education and awareness activities reached a wide target audience. Different videos and brochures were made for hunters and schoolchildren for example, and other information was provided to decision-makers at public bodies. To create a positive attitude towards bears amongst journalists and avoid sensationalist reporting a PR-concept was worked out and applied. As a lot of hunters showed great interest in bear issues, four training sessions for hunters were organised in the summer of 1997. The project was present with a stand at the Carinthian hunting exhibition 1997, an event visited by 130 000 people. The project also investigated claims that the presence of bears was depressing tourism (scaring away visitors) in certain areas. These proved unfounded. Instead, the project tried to promote bears as a bonus for tourism.
A medium-term solution for bear damage compensation was put in place (bear-damage compensation was included in the hunters’ liability insurance).
Problematic’ bears were actively diverted from conflict with people. It was necessary for the rapid response team to ‘shoo off’ or capture bears eight times.The Austrian brown bear population increased by 10% over the project period. A Co-ordination Unit supported by five states was established to deliver the management plan drawn up by the project in February 1997. This plan included strategic and operational means of reducing conflict between bears and people. Strategic means included education, fencing and compensation for damage caused by bears; while operational means included a ‘rapid response’ capability.
A total of 150 electric fences were erected to protect property (e.g. bee hives).
Education and awareness activities reached a wide target audience. Different videos and brochures were made for hunters and schoolchildren for example, and other information was provided to decision-makers at public bodies. To create a positive attitude towards bears amongst journalists and avoid sensationalist reporting a PR-concept was worked out and applied. As a lot of hunters showed great interest in bear issues, four training sessions for hunters were organised in the summer of 1997. The project was present with a stand at the Carinthian hunting exhibition 1997, an event visited by 130 000 people. The project also investigated claims that the presence of bears was depressing tourism (scaring away visitors) in certain areas. These proved unfounded. Instead, the project tried to promote bears as a bonus for tourism.
A medium-term solution for bear damage compensation was put in place (bear-damage compensation was included in the hunters’ liability insurance).
Problematic’ bears were actively diverted from conflict with people. It was necessary for the rapid response team to ‘shoo off’ or capture bears eight times.