The brown marsican bear is the symbol of the abruzzo national park. Last summer i tracked down a marsican brown bear, one of the rarest species of bears in the world. It is therefore not uncommon that you can observe multiple specimens in the same areas. For the last several decades the species has been on the. Bears, lynxes, wild horses and wolves return to europe. Interesting facts the best time to visit the park is the spring. Aside from the abruzzo region from which it takes its name, the park expands also into the lazio and molise regions, hence its new title of abruzzo, lazio, and molise national park approved by law in 2001. As opposed to the reintegration of the slovenian bears in northern italy, thompson with this statement was referring to the bears of abruzzo national park near rome. These are brown bears ursus arctos, the most common and widespread of. A month later, dinah and i and phoebe, eight, and charlie, six, were standing outside pescasseroli, in abruzzo national park.
Jun 23, 2017 close encounter with a bear in alfedena village, abruzzo national park. A camera filmed a tree for a yearheres what it saw. Through the years, the marsican brown bear became the symbol of the abruzzo national park and lent its name to pan dellorso bear bread and other traditional. The abruzzo, lazio and molise national park is one of the oldest in italy. Click on a dot on the map to see the park name, learn which species of bear are located in that park, and get a link to the park website. Some organized tours for birds, bears and other wildlife to abruzzo national park, italy. How abruzzos wild bear population is making a comeback. Record number of bear cubs counted in 2019 in the abruzzo. Record number of cubs counted in 2019 in the abruzzo national. July 7, 2017 a camera set up in national park of abruzzo, lazio and molise, italy, filmed a tree for 365 days. The long isolation of the bears in the apennine region from other bears in the alps meant various differences emerged, and these have led to them being classified as a different subspecies.
Colleagues and i wanted to investigate what made the apennine bear different from other brown bears. Also known as apennine brown bears, this critically endangered subspecies of the brown bear has a range restricted to abruzzo national park and the. National park of abruzzo, lazio and molise alitalia. The map below shows the national parks where one or more bear species have been reported. At present, this danger seems to have been averted, thanks to the particular protection activity of the park board. At frisco talk, author relays world cup, mafia and national. Abruzzo national park in abruzzo is the green region of europe and also referred to as italys garden.
May 15, 2020 the male bears are particularly active and travel a lot, in search of females. There are many tour companies who organize tours to see mammals, birds, other wildlife and other natural wonders. Friday 21st tuesday 25th may 2021 rome to rome tour price. Big marsican brown bear expedition abruzzo italy youtube. Sep 23, 20 however, even as experts suggest creating more room for the vanishing bears, the abruzzo region local government is discussing reducing the borders for sirente velino regional park. The marsican brown bear ursus arctos arctos, formerly ursus arctos marsicanus, also known as the apennine brown bear, and in italian and orso bruno marsicano, is a critically endangered population of the eurasian brown bear, with a range restricted to the abruzzo national park, and the surrounding region in italy. It took a long time and a lot of preparation to find this bear. Abruzzo national park, gran sasso, marsican brown bears and nature. But rewilding and conservation initiatives in italys abruzzo national park mean the animals numbers are finally on the rise. It is crossed by only one paved road and is an area of stunning wilderness. The population of this plantigrade with a very solitary, quiet behaviour doesnt reach 100 individuals. The boys had disturbed a family of bears gorging on berries before. Through the years, the marsican bear became the symbol of the local abruzzo national park and lent its name to pan dellorso bear bread and other traditional regional foods.
Aug 03, 2016 a month later, dinah and i and phoebe, eight, and charlie, six, were standing outside pescasseroli, in abruzzo national park, in an ecotour. Close encounter with a bear in alfedena village, abruzzo national park. Marsican bears, abruzzo national park by chris townend. Bearwatching in the abruzzo national park with locals wildlife. It is a subspecies, which is genetically different from alpine bears, and is thus. Bears of abruzzo short break wise birding holidays. A camera set up in national park of abruzzo, lazio and molise, italy, filmed a tree for 365 days. At frisco talk, author relays world cup, mafia and.
Mar 03, 2020 abruzzos bears remain in great need of protection. Want to learn more about bears in a particular park. Oct 25, 2019 these bears play a vital role in their unique ecosystem, which in turn as a huge impact on the connecting ecosystems and wider biodiversity of the region. If the gran paradiso was instrumental in saving the ibex, the parco nazionale dellabruzzo, lazio and molise plays a crucial role in preserving wolves and bears. Italy has its own subspecies of bear but there are only.
Great hikes in the parco nazionale dabruzzo there are some great hikes starting in pescasseroli, opi and the barrea lake area. Bear watching in the abruzzo, lazio and molise national park. The disappearance of highmountain fodder and smallholdings has been one of the reasons why the bears have begun roaming further downhill, causing friction with humans. Cranial morphometrics of the apennine brown bear ursus arctos marsicanus and preliminary. Three bears poisoned in national park italy magazine. Three of the bestitalian national parks italy magazine. Abruzzo, lazio e molise national park is famous in italy, and all over the world, as a model for nature conservation and environmental safeguard.
They are located only in the abruzzo national park parco nazionale d abruzzo, italy and there are around 4060 of them left. The meadows are covered with flowering violets, crocuses, snowbells, gentians, lilies, primroses and buttercups, the animals including deer, roe deer, chamois, bears, foxes, hares and otters resume activity after the winter and the migratory birds animate the sky once again. A myriad of animals visited the spot including bears, deer, wild boar, wolves, and badgers. A month later, dinah and i and phoebe, eight, and charlie, six, were standing outside pescasseroli, in abruzzo national park, in an ecotour.
This is a serious hiking tour, for serious hikers who want to get out into the wilds of italy, while still having a charming hotel to come to each night. Italy has its own subspecies of bear but there are only 50. Its hard to spot any bears nowadays 15 years ago there were still 300 bears now there are only around 3040 bears left but tourist information usually seems to know where bears can be. National park of abruzzo, lazio and molise, often cited under its previous name, abruzzo national park is an italian national park founded in 1922. In the latest 20 years, the park could harmonically develop thanks to the zoning of the territory, leading to the integration between conservation and development and to an agreement with the park. Here lives one of the rarest world species, the marsican brown bear, that can weigh more than 200 kg. The national park of abruzzo the mountains travel ideas. The bear that was killed in september was in a natural wildlife corridor that runs between two of italys most important protected areas the abruzzo, lazio and molise national park and the. Parco nazionale dabruzzo 2020 all you need to know before. Accommodation for birders and bear watchers in abruzzo national park, italy. Life in abruzzo an evening bear hike in the abruzzo. The success of abruzzo, lazio and molise national park lies also in the fact that it has been able to combine the conservation of the natural environment with the socialeconomic development of the local communities.
National park of abruzzo bears, chamois, wolves visit abruzzo. The symbol of the park is the marsican brown bear, it was, until recently, an endangered species. The park, besides being the oldest national park in italy, is also the richest in biodiversity. However, even as experts suggest creating more room for the vanishing bears, the abruzzo region local government is discussing reducing the borders for sirente velino regional park. Abruzzo national park, gran sasso, marsican brown bears and. Jul 07, 2017 also known as apennine brown bears, this critically endangered subspecies of the brown bear has a range restricted to abruzzo national park and the surrounding areas. Aug 23, 2017 the marsican brown bear is a peaceable animal, but potentially dangerous situations can develop, both for people and for the bears, the national park authority said. The national parks visitor centre is where injured marsican bears that have been found sick or injured are taken, there is currently 1 bear. The abruzzo national park is a 150,000 acre protected area in southern italy. At least 9 female marsican bears reproduced in 2019 in the abruzzo lazio and molise national park and 16 cubs have been counted. Abruzzo national park, or parco nazionale dabruzzo, also boasts an oldgrowth forest of beech trees, a habitat for dozens of bird species. Jun 28, 2017 through the years, the marsican bear became the symbol of the local abruzzo national park and lent its name to pan dellorso bear bread and other traditional regional foods. The animals of the abruzzo national park of all the animals, with its majestic, powerful character the marsican brown bear is the true star of the park.
I think going on a bear hike on midsummers night eve would be the way to go if you are in abruzzo on the day. The park, which was founded in 1922, initially covered only the abruzzese mountain ranges, but was later expanded to include territories from the three central italian regions. We will take advantage of twilight and digiscoping techniques. Aug 15, 2015 big marsican brown bear expedition abruzzo italy. Click here to read this yearlong video of a tree is surprisingly actionpacked. Italy has its own subspecies of bear but there are only 50 left. Through the years, the marsican bear became the symbol of the local abruzzo national park and lent its name to pan dellorso bear bread. Abruzzos extensive park system, parco nazionale dabruzzo, includes natural beauty akin to national parks in western united states.
There are no more than 60 left across a patchwork of national and regional parks, villages and farmland, with most found in the abruzzo national park. The several visitor centers, the wildlife areas, the network of paths, and the other existing infrastructures have given the. Beautiful hikes, wildlife watching moments in one of the wildest area of abruzzo national park with locals. Marsican brown bear parco nazionale dabruzzo, lazio e molise. Ensuring a rich biodiversity is the key to growing and restoring europes last wild places, and deep in the forests of abruzzo national park is about as wild as you can get. The marsican brown bear also known as the apennine brown, a subspecies of the more numerous eurasian brown bear, is critically endangered.
Parco nazionale dabruzzo, lazio e molise wikipedia. Animals of the park the national park of abruzzo, lazio and molise is one of the most mountainous areas rich in wildlife in the apennines. Italys rare bear in losing battle against extinction. Where to watch birds and other wildlife in the world. Very few marsican brown bears remain, and all those that do are located in the abruzzo national park of italy, where high peaks merge into woodland, lots of.
Record number of bear cubs counted in 2019 in the abruzzo national park in italy. Springtime with the bears in the abruzzo national park. This relict population is one of the worlds rarest and most critically endangered bear subspecies. Bear, wolf, chamois, aagle the fauna of abruzzo park. Marsican bear, abruzzo national park, italy youtube. Here live more than 60 species of mammals, 300 birds and 40 species of reptiles, not to mention the wide variety of insects and invertebrates. We focus our explorations on the national park of abruzzo, a haunt of wolves, bears, herds of chamois and some 300 varieties of birds. There are believed to be less than 50 apennine or marsican brown bears left, protected in the abruzzo national park the countrys largest. Not far from rome, italys distinct bear faces down extinction.