THE BEAR EMERGENCY TEAM (BET) IN GREECE: ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL PROBLEM BEAR MANAGEMENT PROTOCOL

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1 THE BEAR EMERGENCY TEAM (BET) IN GREECE: ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL PROBLEM BEAR MANAGEMENT PROTOCOL Regional Workshop of the EU Platform on Coexistence of People with Large Carnivores organized in conjunction with the 62nd CIC General Assembly Pravets Bulgaria, 22 April 2015 Yorgos MERTZANIS, Ph.D. Zoology & Spyros PSAROUDAS, M.Sc. Agr.Econ. CALLISTO - Wildlife and Nature Conservation Society, Thessaloniki, Greece

2 1. Population & Range increase / re-colonization of former range: From ind. (in early 90 s) to ind. (min.) From ~11,000 km 2 (in early 90 s) to 21,500 km2 (actual) riegler

3 2. Human population and bear range overlapping: 6 Regions 18 Regional Units 65 municipalities 1,100 villages ~160,000 inhabitants

4 3. Land use and landscape characteristics within bear habitat : agro-forest mosaic Change of land use forms Expansion of small scale Agricultural lands Types of cultivations (cereals) Increase of Anthropogenic Food resources (availability + accessibility)

5 4. Radical changes in the landscape : i.e. large infrastructures: New highways River dams Land reparcelling Changes in bear behavioral and movements patterns

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8 Food dependent factors - Triggering bear-human conflict situations: Damage on livestock Damage on crops Damage on beehives Feeding on garbage: habituation

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12 Behavioral factors - Triggering conflict proximity with humans: Cases of females protecting their off-spring from large males (cannibalism) Food-Habituated educated yearlings Leads to food habituated adults.

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15 4 members, 1 coordinator, equipment (4 cars, bear cage, tranquilizer gun, anesthetics, bear deterrents, leg-hold traps). Emergency tel. number BET logo

16 dealt in total with: eighty five (85) cases of bear-human interactions which occurred within the project area (average ~20 cases/year). 18% concerned traffic fatalities incidents 52% concerned damage on agricultural production, 3% concerned poaching cases 25% of the dealt incidents concerned bears approaching human settlements at unusual hours of the day or distances.

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18 1.Bear traffic fatality events along KA45- (n=21) ( ): installation of new bear proof fence

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21 2.Bears in proximity to residential areas: (2a) anthropogenic food habituated bears : Installation of Electric fences and provision of LGD s

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23 2.Bears in proximity to residential areas: (2b) females with offspring avoiding large males: The Irma case

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25 Irma was relocated but returned and remained in residential area for summer and fall 2012.

26 Finalization of an Operational Manual ( Bear-human proximity and interference Management Protocol ) in regular cooperation with the Ministry of Environment (input taken from 3 LIFE Projects: LIFE ARCKAS, LIFE EXTRA and LIFE PINGRE ). The Protocol was adopted officially by a CMD in February operational levels: - Scientific committee (central Ministry) - Crisis Management Committee (Regional) - Bear Emergency Team (Local/Forestry service)

27 Finalization of an Operational Manual ( Bear-human proximity and interference Management Protocol ) in regular cooperation with the Ministry of Environment (input taken from 3 LIFE Projects: LIFE ARCKAS, LIFE EXTRA and LIFE PINGRE ). The Protocol was adopted officially by a CMD in February 2014 Next steps: - Training seminars for personnel (contribution of NGO s) - Purchase of bear deterring devices - Bear Emergency Teams operational status evaluation

28 Conclusions 1. Interventions for traffic fatalities triggered more pressure onto EGNATIA ODOS SA and the relevant public authorities= replacement of the old fence over the whole length (55X2km) of highway KA45 (10M ) 2. Interventions for damage on agriculture triggered an information and awareness process to farmers, beekeepers and livestock raisers on the possibility to get subsidized (under the current Rural Development Programme) for the use of preventive measures (electric fencing) 3. Interventions for bear-human interactions in the cases of habituated bears triggered the official instauration of a bear management tool in force at a country scale

29 THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION