Medvede na Slovensku, Medveď na Slovensku, Bears Slovakia, Bear Slovakia

The BEARS Project

"Bear Education, Awareness and Research in Slovakia"

With increased numbers of brown bears (Ursus arctos) in Slovakia since the second half of the 20th century, conflicts between people and bears have increased. Dangerous situations arise for example due to poor storage of food or refuse. Negative aspects of bears often make news headlines, promoting a heightened sense of fear.

The Slovak Wildlife Society responded to this situation by launching the B.E.A.R.S. Project: Bear Education, Awareness and Research in Slovakia. By finding ways to mitigate conflicts, providing information as well as practical help on how to prevent problems, we hope to foster greater understanding and acceptance of bears. The aims of the project are to:

Foster greater tolerance and understanding of bears in Slovakia

Raise public awareness and knowledge of bears and bear safety

Test, implement and promote the use of non-lethal preventive measures

Provide the best available information based on scientific research

Encourage children and youth to take an active interest in nature

Contribute to the scientific understanding of bears

Improve the quality of data available to managers

Support bear conservation and habitat protection

We began the project in 2003 with a survey of public opinion, attitudes and knowledge of bears, wolves and lynx. We found neutral to positive attitudes toward bears. However, the level of knowledge that local residents and tourists had about how to behave in bear country was low. People most often mentioned a lack of information and problems with people as the most important problems in the management of this species. More than 90% of respondents wanted to learn more about large carnivores. We therefore targeted our project mainly on education work. So far we have been working on the following activities and materials:

Public awareness, education and information:

Website

Seminars and workshops for adults and children

Teaching manual "In the tracks of bears"

Slovak version of the film "Staying safe in bear country"

"Bear Camp" and other outdoor activities for children and youth

Exhibitions of photographs and artwork with informative text

Children's art and literature competitions

Presentations and seminars for adults and children

Information leaflets

Regular contact with journalists

Calendars, postcards, stickers, T-shirts

Damage prevention:

Non-lethal methods of livestock protection

Design and installation of bear-proof refuse containers

Research and monitoring:

Survey of public opinion, knowledge and attitudes

Studies on bear ecology

Monitoring and quantifying bear-human conflicts

Developing strategies to reduce conflicts

As part of The BEARS Project we have created this, the first and only website in Slovakia dealing with bears in detail. It offers a rich source of information, interesting articles, news and observations and, for photography lovers, a gallery with images from Slovakia and elsewhere. You can learn how to protect yourselves and bears by knowing what to do when they are around.


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The BEARS Project Our activities Bear watching Basic information Bears in Slovakia A bear's life Myths and reality Bears and humans European populations Bears of the world Scientific research Research methods Results Publications Management Hunting, conservation Bear-proof bins Electric fencing Livestock guard dogs Safety advice Avoiding problems Is there a bear here? If you meet a bear When there's danger True tales Conflicts & solutions Encounters, attacks Refuse Beehives Livestock Education Teaching materials Travelling exhibition Seminars, excursions Film Leaflets For kids & youth Competitions A cub's first year Pictures to colour Quiz Gallery FAQ Supporters	The BEARS Project *"Bear Education, Awareness and Research in Slovakia"* With increased numbers of brown bears (Ursus arctos) in Slovakia since the second half of the 20th century, conflicts between people and bears have increased. Dangerous situations arise for example due to poor storage of food or refuse. Negative aspects of bears often make news headlines, promoting a heightened sense of fear. The Slovak Wildlife Society responded to this situation by launching the B.E.A.R.S. Project: Bear Education, Awareness and Research in Slovakia. By finding ways to mitigate conflicts, providing information as well as practical help on how to prevent problems, we hope to foster greater understanding and acceptance of bears. The aims of the project are to: Foster greater tolerance and understanding of bears in Slovakia Raise public awareness and knowledge of bears and bear safety Test, implement and promote the use of non-lethal preventive measures Provide the best available information based on scientific research Encourage children and youth to take an active interest in nature Contribute to the scientific understanding of bears Improve the quality of data available to managers Support bear conservation and habitat protection We began the project in 2003 with a survey of public opinion, attitudes and knowledge of bears, wolves and lynx. We found neutral to positive attitudes toward bears. However, the level of knowledge that local residents and tourists had about how to behave in bear country was low. People most often mentioned a lack of information and problems with people as the most important problems in the management of this species. More than 90% of respondents wanted to learn more about large carnivores. We therefore targeted our project mainly on education work. So far we have been working on the following activities and materials: Public awareness, education and information: Website Seminars and workshops for adults and children Teaching manual "In the tracks of bears" Slovak version of the film "Staying safe in bear country" "Bear Camp" and other outdoor activities for children and youth Exhibitions of photographs and artwork with informative text Children's art and literature competitions Presentations and seminars for adults and children Information leaflets Regular contact with journalists Calendars, postcards, stickers, T-shirts Damage prevention: Non-lethal methods of livestock protection Design and installation of bear-proof refuse containers Research and monitoring: Survey of public opinion, knowledge and attitudes Studies on bear ecology Monitoring and quantifying bear-human conflicts Developing strategies to reduce conflicts As part of The BEARS Project we have created this, the first and only website in Slovakia dealing with bears in detail. It offers a rich source of information, interesting articles, news and observations and, for photography lovers, a gallery with images from Slovakia and elsewhere. You can learn how to protect yourselves and bears by knowing what to do when they are around.