The Central Apennines is now a true biodiversity hotspot, a wilderness at the very heart of bustling Italy, only 1,5 hours from Rome. The dramatic Abruzzo region is the final refuge of many animals and plants that were once widespread across all of Italy’s mountainous areas. Of these, the Marsican brown bear is both the most iconic and most endangered.
While the current Marsican brown bear population (numbering 50–60 individuals) is relatively safe inside the region’s nature parks, outside the park boundaries they are at risk from poaching, poisoning and traffic collisions. There is also conflict with local people who experience problems related to beehives, orchards and livestock, and who don’t benefit economically from the presence of the bears.
Rewilding Europe is working with local partners to reduce bear mortality and conflict by installing traffic accident prevention measures, removing old fencing, restoring and improving signage, and distributing new mobile electric fences. They promote co-existence by connecting the local economy with wilder nature in five corridors collectively covering more than 100,000 hectares. These corridors link the national parks of Abruzzo, Molise and Lazio and Majella to the Sirente Velino Regional Park. The aim is to support wildlife within the corridors, which in turn extends the range and abundance of wildlife within the parks. Rewilding Europe supports nature-based enterprises in and around corridor areas and raises awareness amongst local communities and people visiting the area
These images show the Marsican brown bear and the wild nature of the Central Apennines in Italy. If we receive new pictures about this project we will upload them here right away.
Photo credits: Bruno D’Amicis / Rewilding Europe
These are other nature projects we support. As soon as this project for the Marsican brown bear is realized we will donate to the next project. Take a look!
