In 2026, Italy’s Central Apennines will become the focal point of international bear conservation, focusing on the Marsican brown bear and coexistence between people and wildlife. From September 20 to 25, Pescasseroli will host two significant gatherings: the International Conference of the IBA – International Association for Bear Research and Management – and the final conference of the LIFE Bear-Smart Corridors initiative.
An event to celebrate together the commitment of communities, associations, and local authorities in promoting long-term coexistence between humans and bears
Supported by funding from the Open Rivers Programme, Rewilding Apennines will oversee the removal of five weirs on the Giovenco River. This will breathe new life into the river ecosystem and deliver benefits to local communities.
A high participation of people characterized the first public event of the LIFE Bear-Smart Corridors in the Bear Smart Community Genzana, the first to be established in Italy 8 years ago.
Recently, a local news website relating to the Gran Sasso area published a letter from one of its readers without first verifying the veracity of the content and, then, selecting the correct information. Since this letter concerns the presence of specimens of the Marsican brown bear in the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park, many have questioned whether it could undermine the delicate process of peaceful coexistence between the local communities and the bear in the newly expanding territories of the species, which is also carrying out through the LIFE Bear-Smart Corridors initiative.
In recent days, the staff and volunteers of Rewilding Apennines and Salviamo l’Orso, during some monitoring and control activities carried out together with the Carabinieri Forestali and the Surveillance Service of the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, have found a total of the carcasses of nine wolves, five Griffon vultures and two Common ravens, all of whom died of poisoning.
A new study has confirmed that Marsican brown bears play a valuable role promoting the Central Apennines as nature-based tourism destination.
Within the LIFE Bear-Smart Corridors initiative, some partners had the idea to spread the coexistence best practices with the bear through the promotion of high-quality food products from the Central Apennines, all encased within the Bear-Smart Box.