British News Agency

Bulgaria’s 16th annual brown bear (Ursus arctos) monitoring project will start tomorrow and last for one week. The aim of the study is to determine the species’ distribution, presence, and population trends in the country. The monitoring activities are conducted by the “Biodiversity and Forest Ecosystems Monitoring Department” within the Executive Environment Agency (IAOS).

The observations will cover areas where the species permanently resides: the Rila, Pirin, Vitosha, Western Rhodopes, and Central Stara Planina mountains. During fieldwork, bear tracks, fecal samples, feeding and marking behavior will be recorded. Data on potential threats to the species will also be collected on site.

In the Western Rhodopes, 14 cameras will be placed in the areas of the “Kormisos,” “Izvora,” and “Chepino” hunting enterprises to collect data over the course of a month.

Experts from the Ministry of Environment and Water, the Executive Environment Agency, all regional environmental inspectorates, and the directorates of the Rila, Pirin, and Central Balkan National Parks are participating in the monitoring efforts.