They once ranged all across Europe, but human encroachment on their forest habitats have made the brown bear an endangered species. The good news is that the size of Greek populations appears to have doubled in recent years.

According to a recent census conducted by the Greek ecological organization Arcturos, which focuses its efforts on saving the bear and its habitats, brown bear numbers have grown from about 80 in the late '80s to roughly 150 individuals today.

Though until the 17th century the wide-ranging and omnivorous brown bear could be found as far south as the Peloponnese, today its habitats are limited to remote sections of Northern Greece's lush mountain ranges of Pindos and Rodopi. But with improving conditions and an increased public awareness, it appears that the bears are again cautiously venturing beyond their known limits. Moreover, the recent growth in bear numbers has been paralleled in an apparent progression of populations southwards. This trend, first observed by ecologists in 1987, peaked last summer when bears were spotted for the first time in 40 years in the Vardoussia mountain range in Nafpaktia.

A shared new world
While distinctly heartening to ecologists, the bears' spreading radius sometimes brings them into dangerous clashes with local residents over damage to property. Last summer, initial signs of the bears' presence in more southern regions included their dipping into beekeepers' hives. In the interest of smoothing the relationship between animals and humans and preventing the killing of bears by farmers, Arcturos provides apiary owners with electrified wire to deter bears indulging in their beloved honey and animal breeders with sheepdogs to protect their herds from the bears occasional appetite for calves.

In addition, Arcturos collaborates with the national farmer insurance organization (EL.G.A.) to provide complete coverage for damage caused by the bears. In efforts to educate the public, the organization points out that the bears, who are shy, rarely attack humans.

Ecological deviation
The survival of the brown bear quite literally took a turn for the better last summer when appeals by ecologists led to the reassessment of a planned section of the Via Egnatia, the 680 highway that will straddle the country's north. The E.U. stopped construction on the segment crossing the Pindos range from Metsovo in Epirus to Grevena in western Macedonia, after Arcturos and other ecological organizations warned that the proposed route would threaten the bear's survival.

The delay will give Greek and European officials time to assess the danger and propose more bear-friendly alternatives. In the meantime, the segment, which lies between two already completed sections, will be replaced by refurbishment of the already existing network of roadways.

Crossing borders
Once found throughout Eurasia and North America (where they are known as grizzlies), the brown bears range has been diminished by 60% in the last two centuries due to hunting and habitat destruction. According to ecologists, brown bears continuing survival in Greece, which has one of the largest populations in southern Europe, is contingent on its natural links with the populations of the country's contiguous Balkan neighbours.

Tagging experiments conducted by Arcturos have shown that bears will travel great distances in seasonal cross-border treks. One of the bears, Tsarnos, was found to spend the spring on the forested slopes of Mt. Grammos in northern Greece, while heading over to Albania when time comes for his winter hibernation. Rodopi too forages in the Greek province after which she is named, but prefers to winter over the border in Bulgaria.

The need for cross-border initiatives has led Arcturos to join 21 organizations from Albania, FYROM, Yugoslavia and Bulgaria in forming Balkan Net, a trans-national network working to ensure the viability of bear populations and the integrity of large, continuous ranges. The first census of bear population in the Balkans, recently completed under the network's auspices, found Bulgaria to be first in bear wealth with 700, Yugoslavia had 400, Albania 250 and FYROM 160.

An NGO with a vision
Arcturos, founded in 1992, made brown bears the focus of its environmental efforts mainly because their survival is tied to the health and integrity of many other species living in the wilderness. The organization also undertakes the rescue of bears kept captive in inhumane conditions - such as the notorious 'dancing bears', which are taken as cubs to be trained following the killing of their mother, as well as orphan bears and those improperly kept in zoos.

In 1993, the organization set up the Bear Protection Centre, located in the Prefecture of Florina. It comprises a Veterinary Centre, where animals are nursed back to health (even dental care is provided) and a Mountain Sanctuary in nearby Mt. Vermio, an enclosed section of forest where the bears are transferred to be cared for and studied until they are able to be released back into the wild. The Sanctuary also serves as an educational and study field for scientists and the public alike.