[Animals] New record: 76 brown bears already live in the Pyrenees

[Draeno]

 

"Observing the brown bears in our mountains is lucky that we have had to live," celebrates Santiago Palazón, a biologist from the Generalitat's fauna and flora service in conversation with EL PERIÓDICO. This "unforgettable sensation" is more and more likely to experience because, year after year, the po[CENSORED]tion of bears settled in the Pyrenees continues to break records, something similar to what happens to their Cantabrian neighbors.

In the last count, of this last 2022, 76 specimens have been counted (at least). They are more than in the years 2020 (69) and 2021 (74). "It's normal, the po[CENSORED]tion is growing and, over time, the number of bears is increasing," says Palazón.

The novelty is that more puppies are being observed: this year 13 have been sighted, which represents 17% of the total number of plantigrades on the radar. "Many of these cubs get ahead, and this is important, because it is the only way to expand and consolidate the bear in the Pyrenees," says the biologist.

the 11 founders
These animals have not yet exhausted the growth margin in the mountain range, according to Palazón: "There are habitat areas to which the bear can adapt, so it can expand further." They have been sighted in Spain (Catalonia and Aragon), France and Andorra.

The nucleus of those who inhabit Catalonia (38 have been counted), however, is mainly in Vall d'Aran and Pallars Sobirà, although also in Alta Ribagorça. In other words, these large mammals could still advance to other regions (Alt Urgell, Pallars Jussà, La Cerdanya...) of the Pyrenees, mountains in which they always lived, until their extinction in the 20th century.

After this disappearance, through a reintroduction project in the 90s, specimens from Slovenia were released to reconquer the lands from which they had been banished by human action. "11 individuals were reintroduced, which are the fathers and mothers of the current po[CENSORED]tion," Palazón details. "Pyros, one of these specimens, is a bit the father of all, because he reproduced with several females until he was considered dead in 2019."

Bamboo, Aran or F001
The confirmation of the expansion, according to the experts, is important because it ensures the genetic variety, a fact that consolidates the Pyrenean bear po[CENSORED]tion. Males are the ones with the greatest dispersal capacity: they move away from the area where they were born and look for new territories. On the other hand, the females usually stay close to where their mother gave birth to them. "This behavior is called philopatry and implies that some specimens remain close to where they were born," explains the expert.

 

https://www.elperiodico.com/es/sociedad/20230330/record-poblacion-osos-pardos-pirineos-vall-daran-pallars-85381336