Since the EU Platform was created in 2014, the members have collected case studies which document how coexistence between people and large carnivores can be supported in different countries.
These case studies present lessons learned in one location which can be applied in other situations or member states. The Platform is aware that there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to large carnivore management. This is why management has to be tailored to the local circumstances.
Case studies are divided into four categories: giving advice / raising awareness, provision of practical support, understanding viewpoints and monitoring. A snapshot of the most recent case-studies is shown below.
Giving Advice/ Raising Awareness
These cases are related to communication and awareness raising actions. Examples include online information centres; in person point of contacts for advice; visitor centres; guidelines addressing particular conflict situations and webinar series.
What’s life like for a wolf in a human world? The LIFE WolfAlps project’s immersive exhibition transported more than 50,000 visitors into the mountains, through forests and meadows, into villages and roads, all while taking on the perspective of a young wolf!
Over 500 middle and high school students have already completed Project Hero’s Wolf Quests that explore the complex relationship between humans and wolves. Through interactive games and real-world case studies, students create innovative solutions for coexistence. Ready to embark on the Quest?
Provision of practical support
These cases include a range of measures to protect livestock against large carnivores as well as programmes to reduce any risk to humans posed by bears.
When wolves returned to Belgium after more than a century, the Wolf Fencing Team Belgium (WFTB) sprang into action, mobilising professionals and volunteers to help livestock owners adapt. Installing more than 200 wolf-deterrent fences since 2019 has led livestock damage cases to drop substantially!
Can countries unite to protect Europe’s large carnivores? A brand-new handbook is helping experts across the Dinaric–Balkan–Pindos region monitor bears, wolves and lynx together, overcoming borders.
Wolves, bears, lynx and wolverines—Sweden's countryside is inhabited by four large carnivore species. But can people and predators really coexist? The Swedish Wildlife Damage Centre is providing innovative solutions and hands-on support to help farmers, hunters and wildlife live together.
Understanding Viewpoints
These cases include a range of “stakeholder platforms” on large carnivores. Intensive efforts to understand the different viewpoints of stakeholders are also included.
Innovative Financing
These cases describe means in which money can be made from the presence of large carnivore species and thus benefit local communities.
Can bears boost local economies? The Bear Friendly Label in Slovenia and Croatia is turning brown bear conservation into a win-win for people and wildlife. By rewarding products and services that promote coexistence—like honey from bear-safe hives—it is changing perceptions and increasing profits.
Ready for an adventure in the wild? Austria's Lynx Trail invites hikers for a 220 km route through natural forests where the European lynx still roams. Connecting three protected areas, this trail blends ecotourism with conservation and received a wave of attention from the media and tourists.
Monitoring
These cases include the involvement of stakeholders in monitoring efforts to better understand large carnivore populations and increase trust in monitoring results.
Monitoring the number of brown bears roaming the vast, politically fragmented Dinaric Mountains presents a cross-border challenge. However, by enlisting the help of hunters and foresters as citizen scientists, this challenge has been transformed into a conservation success story.
Did you know golden jackals are making a natural comeback in Austria? The Golden Jackal Project is rallying citizens, hunters, and scientists to track this secretive species. From bioacoustic monitoring to wildlife detection dogs, discover how Austria is mapping their golden jackals!
More best practice examples for coexistence
Report: Examples of good practice in supporting coexistence between people and large carnivores
Other case study collections
Additional interesting case studies can be found on the EuroLargeCarnivores project website including a range of videos describing situations where coexistence measures have worked and in the EUROPARC's collection of case studies on large carnivores. The ENCOSH platform aims to foster knowledge-sharing on initiatives for human-wildlife conflict prevention and mitigation.
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Best practices (28)
RSSMonitoring the number of brown bears roaming the vast, politically fragmented Dinaric Mountains presents a cross-border challenge. However, by enlisting the help of hunters and foresters as citizen scientists, this challenge has been transformed into a conservation success story.
When wolves returned to Belgium after more than a century, the Wolf Fencing Team Belgium (WFTB) sprang into action, mobilising professionals and volunteers to help livestock owners adapt. Installing more than 200 wolf-deterrent fences since 2019 has led livestock damage cases to drop substantially!
Can countries unite to protect Europe’s large carnivores? A brand-new handbook is helping experts across the Dinaric–Balkan–Pindos region monitor bears, wolves and lynx together, overcoming borders.
Wolves, bears, lynx and wolverines—Sweden's countryside is inhabited by four large carnivore species. But can people and predators really coexist? The Swedish Wildlife Damage Centre is providing innovative solutions and hands-on support to help farmers, hunters and wildlife live together.
Nestled in the heart of Romania, the Transylvanian Highlands are one of Europe’s most ecologically rich regions, protected under the Natura 2000 network. Cristina Iliescu is Destination Manager of the NGO Colinele Transilvaniei.
As a “slow-travel” influencer, Eveline encourages people to learn more about sustainability and find unique experiences across Europe by taking a train. Ahead of Natura2000 Day, DG Environment partnered with her and she picked 5 protected areas that everyone should visit.
"Look around. Explore your home. Get to know the nature that surrounds you – and help protect it. Sometimes, the most special places are the ones we’ve always taken for granted."
Chris Bruggeman is a keen observer of nature and biodiversity, using the Observation.org website to record the species he spots in his native Belgium.
LIFE B4B is a project funded by the EU, involving 14 Belgian nature partners. We're leading a national awareness campaign for Natura 2000 Day and Biodiversity Week under the guidance of the Agency for Nature and Forests.
Did you know golden jackals are making a natural comeback in Austria? The Golden Jackal Project is rallying citizens, hunters, and scientists to track this secretive species. From bioacoustic monitoring to wildlife detection dogs, discover how Austria is mapping their golden jackals!