Overview

For centuries, bears have been relentlessly hunted and exterminated in Europe. In recent years, reintroduction programs, initiated by the European Union in particular, have aimed to re-establish these mammals in their former habitat, such as the Pyrenees or northern Italy. But the return of the bears is not without consequences, and is generating opposition. Breeders fear material damage caused by the reintroduced animals and, although rare, attacks on humans have been recorded in the past. In other European countries, such as Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, people have learned to live with bears over the centuries.