Increasing Encounters with Brown Bears: Overpopulation or Disturbed Balance in Nature?

Residents living near Bulgaria’s mountains are reporting increasingly frequent encounters with the country’s largest predator – the brown bear. Such encounters can naturally cause fear and concern, and in some cases lead to damage to agricultural property or domestic animals. Against this backdrop, experts from the Executive Environment Agency at the Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW) have launched their annual monitoring of this protected species, aiming to understand whether these behaviours are driven by overpopulation or a disrupted balance in nature.

Bears Descending to Villages and Holiday Homes

In recent months, brown bears have been observed more often near settlements, primarily in search of food. This can causes fear and tension among people, and occasionally cause damage. Experts stress that these sightings do not necessarily indicate an increase in bear numbers, but rather a shrinking boundary between humans and wildlife.

Radoslav Stanchev, biodiversity expert at the Executive Environment Agency, explains:
"Yes, in recent years we’ve seen more cases of bears venturing into settlements. One reason is that they are losing their natural fear of humans. This is mainly due to food availability – unregulated landfills provide bears with easy access to discarded food waste, gradually reducing their fear of people."

The brown bear is the largest predator in Bulgaria and is strictly protected under the Biodiversity Act. Its habitat spans the Rila, Pirin, Rhodope, and Stara Planina mountains. During summer, bears often forage high in mountain meadows. Despite the public’s fear, the species plays a crucial ecological role.

To track bear populations, MOEW and the Executive Environment Agency have conducted a nationwide monitoring programme for 16 years. Over the course of seven days, teams survey mountains including the Western Rhodopes, Rila, Pirin, Vitosha, and the Central Stara Planina. They record paw prints, droppings, feeding signs, and marking behaviours, all of which feed into the national database.

Radoslav Stanchev adds:
"This year’s brown bear monitoring is part of a continuous effort that began in 2009. For the past ten years, we’ve conducted it simultaneously across all mountains inhabited by bears. The goal is to identify trends in distribution, presence, and population numbers of brown bears in Bulgaria."

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In addition to field observations, experts employ modern technology such as camera traps. In the Western Rhodopes, 14 cameras have been set up across three state hunting grounds – Kormisosh, Izvora, and Chepino – monitored around the clock for a month. Four cameras have been placed in the Chepino Hunting Ground alone, allowing researchers to observe bears without disturbing them and to gain insight into their behaviour in the wild.

Stanchev notes:
"Bears are highly intelligent and resourceful. Sometimes, despite our efforts to secure food in protected enclosures, they find ways to access it, particularly in autumn when they need to build fat reserves for winter."

• Bear Spotted in the Vicinity of the Town of Levski

Safety Recommendations for Encounters

According to the latest data from the Executive Environment Agency, Bulgaria’s brown bear population is around 400. While stable, bears are increasingly coming into contact with human areas. Experts recommend that if a person encounters a bear, they should remain calm, avoid sudden movements, and slowly move away. If the encounter occurs in a settlement, authorities should be notified immediately via 112.

Stanchev advises:
"To stay safe in bear territory, humans should make their presence known, making enough noise to signal to wildlife that they are on their territory. No animal wants to encounter a human, seeing them as a direct threat. In case of a close encounter, specialists recommend staying calm and avoiding sudden movements, which could trigger defensive or aggressive behaviour."

Conservation and Balance

Monitoring brown bears is not merely about counting numbers; it is about maintaining a balance between humans and nature. Each paw print and camera capture contributes to a better understanding of one of Bulgaria’s most impressive mountain inhabitants.