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The Marsican brown (Ursus arctos marsicanus): a flagship species for rewilding in the Central Apennines

Conference Paper · December 2018

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THE MARSICAN (URSUS ARCTOS MARSICANUS): A FLAGSHIP SPECIES FOR REWILDING IN THE CENTRAL APENNINES

Mario Cipollone1, Daniele Valfrè1, Siro Baliva1, Angela Tavone1, Luca Tomei1, Massimiliano de Persiis1, Piero Visconti1, Simone Giovacchini1, Adriano Argenio1, Antonio Liberatore1, Giuseppe Cotturone1, Gaetano de Persiis1, Deli Saavedra2, Alexandros A. Karamanlidis2

1Salviamo L’Orso, 2Rewilding Europe, Netherlands

Abstract The Marsican bear is a critically endangered subspecies of the brown bear in Italy. Taking advantage of its high ecological value and public visibility we set up a project in the Central Apennines, to promote bear conservation and rewilding in the area, with a special focus on important habitat corridors between the national and regional parks. From 2012 – 2018 we carried out the following actions: • Establishment of a first Bear Smart Community through the provision of electric fences and bear-proof waste bins. This action resulted in a 99.8% reduction of bear-induced damages by 2017 and the moving away of food- conditioned brown bears from human settlements. • Extensive canine vaccination campaign, during which >3,000 dogs were treated; since then no disease transmission to bears has been recorded. • Lobbying against the development of habitat-damaging infrastructure (i.e., hydropower station at Aventino river, wind turbines in wildlife connection areas). • Anti- poaching activities during which a female bear was freed from a snare. • Mitigation of bear – vehicle collisions through the installation of technical mitigation measures and a speed reduction at Road SR83.• Increasing production of abandoned orchards through the pruning of 200 fruit trees, to drive bears away from other food sources.• Reducing bear – beekeeping conflicts by securing 6 apiaries with electric fences, compensating damage to non-secured properties and promoting bear smart practices. • Promotion of bear-friendly products, thus creating an incentive for local entrepreneurs to protect bears. • Public awareness and education campaigns (i.e., 3 educational activities with schools and 5 public events/year) to improve human – bear co-existence. Our conservation approach has contributed to halting the decline of the Marsican bear, but also benefited other local wildlife, thus improving the overall biodiversity status of the Central Apennines.

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