The first phase of genetic monitoring of the Marsican brown bear has been completed
Analysis of over eight hundred hair samples collected in the area of the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park to estimate population size
The first phase of genetic monitoring of the Marsican brown bear has been successfully completed, with the aim of estimating as accurately as possible the population size of one of Europe’s rarest mammals. The activity took place within the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, where 854 hair samples were collected and will now be analyzed by specialized laboratories.
To obtain these samples, “scent traps” were set up to attract bears to rubbing posts and around berry patches—environments where they find fruit to feed on. Thanks to more than four hundred installations, genetic material was collected for biomolecular analyses, which will make it possible to estimate both the size of the population and the species’ distribution range, in historically occupied areas as well as in zones of more recent colonization.
The project, funded under Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) through the measure “Digitalization of national parks and marine protected areas,” was carried out by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security through the Institute of Applied Ecology (IEA), with technical and scientific coordination by ISPRA.
The initiative represented an unprecedented effort in terms of scale, the extent of the area sampled, and the level of involvement of institutions and operators, including central government bodies and Regions, Parks and Nature Reserves, the Carabinieri Corps, monitoring networks, and associations.
Project Figures
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Over 400 genetic traps installed across four districts
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More than 800 hair samples collected
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Over 60 operators involved, including IEA staff, institutions, and associations
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Tens of thousands of kilometers traveled by car and on foot to reach sampling sites
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4 deliveries of biological samples to laboratories in charge of genetic analyses
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Dozens of organizations involved: MASE, ISPRA, the Regions of Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise; Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park; Maiella National Park; Monte Genzana Alto Gizio Regional Nature Reserve; Sirente Velino Regional Natural Park; Monti Simbruini Regional Natural Park; Montagne della Duchessa Regional Nature Reserve; Monte Navegna and Monte Cervia Regional Nature Reserve; Zompo lo Schioppo Regional Nature Reserve; Forestry, Environmental and Agri-Food Units Command (CUFAA) of the Carabinieri; Carabinieri Units of the National Parks of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise and of Maiella; Castel di Sangro Biodiversity Carabinieri Unit; Castel di Pescara Biodiversity Carabinieri Unit; Torricella Peligna Forestry Carabinieri Unit; Pratica di Mare Carabinieri Flight Unit; Marsican Brown Bear Monitoring Network – Abruzzo and Molise; Marsican Brown Bear Monitoring Network – Lazio; Save the Bear Association; Rewilding Association