Rural depopulation and land abandonment in parts of Europe have reduced anthropogenic deterrents to large carnivores, leading to rewilding and escalating conflicts with the remaining inhabitants. Such conflicts deepen negative attitudes toward these species, challenging conservation and coexistence efforts. In Bulgaria, a significant year-to-year increase in bear-caused damages has raised concerns for human livelihoods and bear conservation. This study examines socio-demographic and environmental drivers of bear-damages in the Western Rhodopes – a depopulating mountainous region, and hotspot for human-bear conflict. Multiple linear regression was applied using demographic and spatial variables to identify factors influencing bear damage incidence within municipalities. MaxEnt was applied to identify high-risk zones, based on land use and elevation. Regression results identified human population decline as a key correlate of bear damages, suggesting that reduced human activity and fewer anthropogenic deterrents (e.g., noise, dogs, human presence) around settlements, combined with persistent attractants like orchards and trash, increase conflict risks despite a declining bear population. The MaxEnt model revealed that land use types with human activity of low-medium intensity (e.g. remote communities interspersed with agricultural land, natural vegetation, and houses) experience most conflicts. While most damages occur around the mean regional elevation, incidents both higher and lower are increasing between 2004 and 2022, likely due to unsupervised grazing at higher elevations and reduced human activity around lower-elevation settlements. Increasing conflicts erode local trust in institutional wildlife management and worsen attitudes toward bears. Our findings highlight the intensification of human-bear conflicts in depopulating regions, threatening livelihoods, sense of security and the support for conservation efforts. This pattern is especially concerning amid global trends of urbanization and rural decline, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.

After a series of reintroductions (including unofficial releases) and natural recolonisations during the last decades, the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) is returning throughout Europe. However, it is hard to distinguish the species from its American relative, Castor canadensis, which has also been successfully introduced and is thriving in some parts of the continent as an invasive species. In this context, obtaining genetic information for the newly recorded populations is important for taking appropriate management actions. The current paper presents the results of the first genetic assay of five recently established beaver populations along the River Danube and two of its tributaries in Northern Bulgaria. The non-invasive method of eDNA sampling was applied. We found that all populations belong to C. fiber and are of the haplotypes from the refugial populations in Norway and France. We hypothesise that they naturally spread from Romania, where reintroductions have been done using individuals from Bavaria, who were, in turn, translocated from Scandinavia, France, Russia, and Poland.

Longitudinal research on public attitudes toward large carnivores is scarce, limiting our understanding of how human–wildlife coexistence evolves. This study aimed to bridge this gap by replicating a 2012 survey on attitudes toward brown bears Ursus arctos in four bear‐populated regions of Bulgaria. Shifts in attitudes were analysed between 2012 and 2022 using data from 200 participants, and the influence of socio‐demographic and regional variables was explored. Results revealed a significant positive shift in public attitudes since 2012, and decreased support for lethal control. However, persistent regional differences remain, with the Rhodopes region exhibiting significantly higher negative attitudes. The disparity is not explained by bear population density but likely by a combination of factors including landscape characteristics that increase human–bear interaction, the lack of protected nature areas, higher levels of reported bear damage, perceived increase in human–wildlife conflicts, and ongoing rural depopulation. A critical finding is the mismatch between official monitoring data showing declining bear populations and a widespread public perception of increasing populations, a belief strongly correlated with negative attitudes. Education and age were significant demographic predictors, with higher education and younger age associated with more positive attitudes. The results underscore the importance of continued longitudinal research to capture evolving attitudes and beliefs, while also highlighting persistent regional challenges that must be addressed to foster coexistence.

Body growth in mammals is an aspect of their biology that has always been interesting and carries important information about the individual’s development. The relationship between growth patterns and factors that are affecting them, such as parasitism, is not entirely clear. In this short communication, we provide information obtained from a young brown bear (Ursus arctos), shot a year after being collared. Analysed growth patterns show a noticeable increase in the weight and circumference of the chest and head. The established low to moderate infestation with Baylisascaris transfuga in relation to absence of other parasites, has not affected the growth processes.

Assessing the well-being of captive brown bears is essential for responsible species management and meeting European and national animal care standards outside their natural habitats. The present study aims to assess the welfare of captive brown bears in Bulgaria, considering environmental parameters, husbandry procedures, and the psychological and physical condition of the animals. The study was conducted on 28 brown bears in 11 zoos in Bulgaria and 19 bears in Bear Sanctuary Belitsa. A specific questionnaire and interviews were conducted with zoo managers and keepers. The welfare of the bears was evaluated based on their living conditions, husbandry, and physical and psychological well-being. The Nature and Animal Protection Center in Dobrich received the highest rating for the welfare of two brown bears among the zoos in the study. The study identified annual veterinary check-ups and enrichment programmes as areas needing improvement.