Status and Numbers of the Brown Bear (Ursus arctos L.) in Bulgaria

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The article focuses on the conservation status and trends in the numbers of the bear in Bulgaria. Genetic research shows that the Bulgarian population, together with other Balkan bears and the bears from the Apennines, have a common and unique gene pool. This and their limited numbers make them particularly important from the point of view of conservation of the biodiversity of the bear in Europe. Our analysis shows that from the end of the 1980s, when the Bulgarian population was the most numerous (around and even over 700 bears), a trend of decreasing numbers began, which is due to human impact. The present study is based on the National Field-monitoring of the species from recent years, analyzed by using statistical methodology. According to our analysis, at present the population numbers about 500 individuals. ABSTRACT: Until recently, the Bulgarian bear population (Ursus arctos L.) was considered one of the significant ones in Europe and one of the few with more than 500 bears. While the numbers of some neighboring populations may be increasing, the Bulgarian population has been on a downward trend since the early 1990s. The probable numbers of the species at the end of the 1980s was about 700–750 individuals. Calculations based on field data from national monitoring and statistical analysis show probable numbers in Bulgaria in 2020 of about 500 individuals (data for the autumn state). This decline is mostly related to poaching due to weaker control activity, the reduction of forest areas and habitat fragmentation. The preservation of the Bulgarian population, which, together with the other Balkan populations and the Apennine bear, has a unique gene pool, is particularly important from the point of view of preserving the biodiversity of the species in Europe.