Once upon a time, when my journey of working on and in large predator conflict prevention began the brown bear was the symbol and key element. And to be honest, that never changed. Even though it isn't known or visible for many people, just as most brown bears aren't visible for many people, the brown bear is always and forever present in my life and work. This is not for nothing. The brown bear, both as individual, species and as a symbol is an extremely important and versatile creature. I dare to say: way more important than humans, no matter from what (truthful) perspective you look at brown bears, no human will match it. We also don't have to match or surpass it. We need to do our part in a fair and useful way. It sounds easy. Apparently it is not easy at all, for mankind.
 
 How peculiar is the development of mankind to the level we've reached today? Still with smaller and bigger gaps between one community, region, country or society and another. The recurring theme of mankind's development is egocentric: Taking, not giving. Claiming, not sharing. Dominating, not coexisting. Exceptions exist but are a minority. And even the human individuals who are among the exceptions will never come close to the beneficiality of brown bears, or most other natural (flora & fauna) species for that matter.
 
 A quick overview through the history and development of mankind will make every human with the slightest common sense conclude that we always take spaces and places which are already inhabited by other lifeforms. Some lifeforms are easily removed, ignored or even noticed. Others might be more resilient or accepted, until the point is reached where human interests are proclaimed to be more important. We take but give little to nothing beneficial in return.
 
 We cannot turn back time, we barely can turn course. However, I won't stop trying to turn course and be a better and more beneficial part of the only truly important society: the world of nature. The ecosystem in which all living things have a place, a role and a chance to live. One of the most important activities in my role is to stand up for our fellow (wild) creatures and nature as a whole, based on the honest truth. Remember: everyone is responsible for its own actions and choices. It is everyone’s own responsibility to make choices and actions in life and accepting the forthcoming consequences.

I could write down 1000 pages of what mankind should not do to prevent conflicts with Nature, but instead I will write more about the importance of brown bears: Umbrella species for a healthy environment. The title umbrella species is a very honorable and important one. The bear being umbrella species means that every living organism in its environment benefits from his presence or even depends on it. You see, the human role of wildlife manager is an illusion. Being a part of the natural world isn’t a job, it’s a way of life. Simply existing as an individual and as a species and doing what’s supposed to be done to be part of the whole.

Many people I have met ask themselves, or me, more or less this: How can this hairy, muscular creature called a bear be so important in the whole? How can an animal be more useful, beneficial and important than the ‘supreme species of mankind’? It’s all about how you measure and rate success and importance. Economy, material wealth, paper titles, rank and power to dominate fellow humans and everything else are some of the measurement tools on the human stairway of importance and usefulness. A delusional world, where there sooner or later is no place for people who are different and for sure not for other lifeforms.

In the real world, creatures live to survive, thrive and multiply through several behaviors and skills, without material desires, economy or made-up titles. One simply is a strong, leading  individual or isn’t. One simply can or does what is needed to survive, thrive and multiply or can't/doesn’t. The success of a species and of nature is determined by the most skilled and beneficial lifeforms. There are no created tasks to make unskilled creatures feel useful, no delusion. Only reality. 

Back to bears, the umbrella species, facilitating numerous other lifeforms to live, thrive and multiply. Brown bears are opportunistic omnivores. They’re incredible strong and incredibly intelligent. They can live up to 35 years in the wild, which means that the existence of every individual bear has quite an impact for a rather long period of time. Although they possess all the physical ‘gear’ to be a carnivore: teeth, claws, sense of smell and physique, their diet is mostly vegetarian (more than 85%). Opportunistic as they are, they won’t miss an opportunity to eat meat and/or sweet! (See picture 1 in slideshow below)

Brown bears, large as they are, bulk feed on several sages & grasses, bushes & shrubs, twigs & branches, leaves & flowers, seeds & nuts, buds & fruits, and so on. Their body size and bulk feeding behavior makes them a habitat opener. This means the environment will remain very diverse and won’t be completely forested. Larger and smaller patches of grassland, bushes and trees housing, sheltering and feeding numerous other species in all sizes from mammals to birds to reptiles to insects and invertebrates. You see, to be important and beneficial in reality, a creature does not waste or exhaust its food source but it triggers its food source to live, thrive and multiply. Along the way facilitating and allowing numerous other species to do the same.

Brown bears also scavenge on carcasses and sometimes ‘create’ carcasses after they made a kill. Once a brown bear opened a carcass and ate its share, the food source becomes available for countless other creatures: mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, invertebrates, fungi. Many of them cannot access this food source without it being opened up by a strong carnivore or omnivore. The umbrella safeguards and facilitates an uncountable number of other lifeforms which are all needed to maintain and obtain a healthy environment.

Brown bears are also important symbolic and mythical creatures in various (ancient) traditions and cultures among mankind. Some of those respectful and honorable, some of them the opposite. None the less, brown bears remain true to themselves. Executing their important role by living, thriving and multiplying. The long-lasting and ever-increasing advancing presence of mankind into the natural world makes it more and more difficult for brown bears to be what they are without being forced into conflict. Where they facilitate their food sources and numerous other lifeforms to live, thrive and multiply, mankind disturbs, challenges and attracts bears and numerous other lifeforms. While doing that, bears are often falsely accused and blamed by mankind to be dangerous and problematic. The horrible reality for natural lifeforms, caused by a species living in a surrealistic, artificial world. 

“Your strongest quality is often your greatest weakness”. This saying is often heard and very often true. This also goes for the mighty bears. The most developed quality of the bear to survive, and the main reason why bears are so successful is their opportunistic character. Led by their extraordinary sense of smell bears use every opportunity to find food. No matter how small the food source or what it is bears will find and eat it. This, among other qualities, makes them one of nature’s extreme survivors! A brown bear can smell a foods source from 4 km distance and sometimes more. When bears find a regular food source, they will remember the exact spot easily and will return there time after time. Also, if the food source is near or from human’ presence. (See picture 2 in slideshow below)

Through the years I was fortunate enough to meet quite some wild brown bears in Romania. From bears feeding at garbage bins, to bears passing by in the forest. During my most recent trip to Romania I was able to see the presence of 17 bears without a doubt (maybe even more), from which 16 individuals in one day. The presence of one was observed because I found its fresh tracks and scat, this is the most common way to observe bear presence. (See picture 3 in slideshow below). Sixteen individuals next to the road which runs through the thick forests and altitudes of the Făgăraș mountains. Bears learned that this area provides various and regular opportunities to obtain easy food. From open garbage bins at pick-nick areas to leftovers near restaurants and food stands to tourists driving by and throwing food to the bears from inside their cars, or sometimes outside their cars. We see this occurring in more and more places around the world where tourists venture through bear territory. 

To see wild bears so close by is of course an extraordinary experience. Their mostly calm and patient behavior is astonishing. (See picture 4 in slideshow below). Even though the misbehavior and sometimes pure stupidity of visitors towards these bears is numerous, direct physical conflicts from bear to man are rare. This says a lot about both bears and us. Sadly though, we are making life more dangerous and difficult for bears and humans. Their habituation to food sources coming from humans can for example result in increasing risk for local shepherds and their flocks with livestock guardian dogs. Habituated bears are harder to deter. Tourists who are unknowing about habituated bears might get into conflict with these bears. Even though the bears are not to blame, they will pay the heaviest price for each encounter which is labelled dangerous for mankind.

Can these situations be resolved in an honest and truthful way for now and the future? In theory and in true reality: yes. In practice and the surrealistic, artificial society of mankind: probably not. I’ve got my hopes up towards the intelligence and skills of the bears as a species to be able to survive the challenges which mankind forces upon them with minimum conflicts. In the meantime I will do the only thing one can do: live in a way where other natural lifeforms have a place and space to live, thrive and multiply. To coexist. 

Click on this link to see the video footage.