With approximately 600 individuals there is still a viable bear population in the mountains of Croatia. However, their range is becoming increasingly restricted. The same is happening to the Slovenian population which is of similar size. The causal factor in this is the increasing development of roadways, with the motorway between Zagreb and Rijeka being just one example. The section from Karlovac to Rijeka cuts through prime bear habitat. Djuro Huber, our Croatian project partner, was unable to stop the motorway from being built but at least he achieved that a game pass was added. The importance of the pass was demonstrated by observations made prior to the completion of the bridge - paw prints were found along both sides of the future pass.

Bears are normally very shy animals. It is very unusual to find them near settlements. This is just as well since bears are certainly not pets; they occasionally take sheep or other livestock. So it is better if they stay away from human settlements. From experiences in North America we know that it is dangerous if wild bears get used to people. In some of the US national parks bears even used to be attracted through feeding in order to give people an opportunity to observe or pet them. The results were disastrous: once the bears were used to get food from people they started to expect food at every encounter. They even began to target settlements or other places where people stayed.

But let us return to Europe, to Croatia to be precise, where refuse is being dumped in countless small tip-heads near towns and villages. Quite apart from the fact that these dumps contaminate the groundwater and are deficient in terms of most of the modern environmental standards, they also pose a danger to the bears. Attracted by the smells emanating from the dumps they search for food amongst the rubbish. Becoming used to human refuse harbours a major risk. The bears' next step might well be that they come into the villages searching through rubbish bins. EuroNatur and its Croatian partner, the Croatian Ecological Society, have started a pilot project which involves the erection of electric fencing around the dumps in order to keep the bears away.

There are also plans for a transnational protected area in Croatia and Slovenia. This planned Karst Park will also play a major role in allowing bears to return to the Alps. Only if the Croatian and Slovenian bear populations can be sustained will there be chance for individuals to cross northwards into Italy and Austria. The aims of all the bear protection activities in Croatia and Slovenia are to win the local people's support for the protection measures, and to find solutions which will enable the peaceful coexistence of man and bear.