Over 80 brown bears live in the Pyrenees mountains on the French-Spanish border according to a 2023 report from the Brown Bear Network - but are they a threat to humans?
Data newly collected from four departments between the months of September - November 2024 found 360 signs of bears in the Pyrenees, notably in Haute-Garonne, Ariège, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, and Hautes-Pyrénées, stated a report from the l’Office français de la biodiversité (OFB), which monitors the bears.
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Conservationists want to increase the number even more, because the current population is “not enough to ensure a minimum threshold of viability”, said wild animal protection association ASPAS (l’association pour la protection des animaux sauvages).
“New blood should be introduced to avoid inbreeding,” it said in the report.
This is because more than 85% of the bears born since 1996 are the descendants of the same male. In 1995 there were just five bears.
And in comparison to some other European country populations, 83 is a very small number; for example, Romania is said to have around 8,000 bears. It also has more anti-bear measures such as special rubbish bins that are collected daily, to avoid attracting the animals.
Sustainability and co-existence
The bears were first re-introduced into the Pyrenees in 1991.
Their conservation and protection is overseen by the Plan d’Actions Ours Brun 2018-2028, and approved by the Ministry of Ecological Transition. They are an internationally-protected species under the Bern Convention, and nationally under the Code de l'environnement.
The main aim of the plan is to ensure the sustainability of the species while enabling them to co-exist alongside human activities. However, this is one of the major issues of contention in the area, with farmers regularly accusing bears of attacking their livestock. Official figures show that 349 animals were attacked by bears last year.
These figures contrast sharply with claims from Philippe Lacube, president of the Ariège Chamber of Agriculture, who told France 3 that “800 ewes a year are attacked”, with the Ariège region particularly affected, he said.
Mr Lacube is calling for more regulation on bears, and said that “with the reintroduction of the bear, we are favouring a ‘wildernessification’ of the mountains, to the detriment of a mountain of use”.
“Do we want to promote the economy and human activities or do we want to create spaces without humans, under a bell jar?”, he asked.
Farmers are calling for the right to be able to shoot the bears if needed, but the Ariège land management authority (Direction départementale des territoires, DDT) is in favour of non-violent methods.
“We are suggesting that we increase the human presence with additional shepherds and night watchmen,” said Anne Calmet, director of the Ariège DDT. “There are also other tools such as electric fences at night to protect the sheep,” she said to France 3.
Some other mountain areas in Europe that have struggled with bears have tried a different approach; for example, in Abruzzo in Italy, the creation of a national park to protect the bears has helped to ease tensions between them and farmers.
Are the bears a threat to humans? What to do if you come across one
But what about coexistence with humans, such as hikers or joggers?
“Bears are not an aggressive animal, but they have the ability to defend themselves,” said Alain Reynes, director of the association Pays de l'Ours - Adet, to France 3.
“Bears are not [usually] dangerous. [But] we must distinguish danger from fear. It is healthy to be afraid of encountering a bear,” he said. “The opposite is dangerous. You must avoid overconfidence at all costs.” He added that brown bears do not generally seek contact with humans on purpose.
Read also: VIDEO: Hiker comes face to face with bear in French Pyrenees
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In the event of a chance encounter, Mr Reynes advised:
Remain calm
Avoid provoking the animal
Do not approach or try to get closer
Do not throw anything at the bear in an attempt to scare it or move it away
Refrain from making movements or noises that could be interpreted as aggressive
Avoid running or turning away quickly
Gently leave the area by backing away calmly. This should encourage the bear to leave too.
If you are hiking with a dog, ideally keep it on a lead. If the dog is off-lead and appears to approach the bear, do not call it to come back. Simply move backwards and leave the area calmly yourself, trusting that your dog will follow you of its own accord soon after.
The biggest risk is if you come across a female with her cubs, said Mr Reynes. “If she is worried about her cubs, she will try to protect them, which is normal. Females are not aggressive normally.”
In the event of a serious incident, pepper sprays can be used as a last resort in an emergency. However, these technically require prior authorisation for use as they are considered to be a weapon. Shepherds who protect sheep herds in mountain areas are currently taking part in training with these sprays.
Ms Calmet said that mountain users need to have higher awareness of “the right actions to take in the event of a chance encounter with a bear”.
In the spring of 2025 new signs at all hiking trailheads should be installed, she said, raising awareness of the presence of bears, and what to do if you meet one accidentally.
Mr Reynes added that coexistence between humans and bears is not unrealistic, and is needed for biodiversity. “Bears have been present in the Pyrenees for 100,000 years,” he said.
