Providing reliable population estimation of wild carnivores is essential for their proper management and conservation. Teresa Berezowska-Cnota, Djuro Huber, Agnieszka Olszańska, Nuria Selva and Agnieszka Sergiel from our Institute have co-authored an overview of methods used to estimate relative abundance and population density of nine large European wild carnivore species, including the brown bear. Except for practical guidance on how to provide reliable estimates, the document points out the drawbacks and the advantages of different techniques.
The report has been created under the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) project, whose main objective is to collect information on the geographical distribution, abundance and structure of selected wildlife species relevant for livestock and human health.
The document can be downloaded here: https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2903/sp.efsa.2020.EN-1947