Status of the Brown Bear in the Pyrenees

The population size of the Pyrenean brown bear (Ursus arctos L.) has declined from about 200 animals to 20 or even less during the past 40 years. Distribution covered the Pyrenean slopes from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean Sea but is now restricted to an area of about 800 km2 in the western French Pyrenees. This area includes a national park, which, however, covers only a small portion of the bear's habitat. Thus, the bear is living largely outside the reserve. Forest exploitation and other human activities within the bear's range have been minimal until recently, so the species was able to withstand man's impact. However, a developmental program begun in 1976 will severely deteriorate the mountain landscape and, if allowed to continue, will bring the Pyrenean brown bear to extinction. As land in central and western Europe has long been heavily utilized and densely populated by man, predators quite early became serious competitors with man. This situation led to almost complete extinction of the larger carnivore species by hunting. Relict populations retreated to remote areas. The more these areas are developed, particularly for tourist activities, the more management problems arise for big game animals. Even if a species has complete legal protection, if often suffers severely from human disturbance and habitat destruc-