10.7 The Situation of the Brown Bear, Wolf and European
Lynx in the Pyrenees
The native brown bear population in the Pyrenees disappeared during the last 10
years, although the population located in the Central Pyrenees was wiped out earlier
in the 1990s (Camarra and Parde 1990; Parellada et al. 1995; Alonso et al. 1993;
Casanova 2005). The last female bear died in 2004, along with the oldest male, and
the last male died in 2010 (DARP 2015). Currently, there is only one male born
from a released Slovenian male and the last Pyrenees female. The current bear
population (Table 10.1) was reintroduced from a set of individuals captured in the
Balkans (Slovenia) and released in the Pyrenees in 1996–1997 (two females and
one male) in 2006 (four females and one male) (Quenette et al. 2000) and 2016 (one
male). In 2016, the bear population was divided into two areas: the Central
Pyrenees subpopulation, with more than 35 bears identified, and the Atlantic
Pyrenees subpopulation, with only two males identified.
The wolf was once distributed throughout Catalonia (NE Spain) from the
Mediterranean coast to the Pyrenees. At the end of the eighteenth century, 200–250
wolves were being hunted per year (0.8 wolves per 100 km
2 ), but by the beginning
of nineteenth century, only 10–50 wolves per year were killed (0.02 wolves per
100 km
2 ) (Ruiz-Olmo 1995). These data indicate the decline in the wolf population
in Catalonia and the Pyrenees. Population declines and extinctions spread progressively from east to west and north to south (Ruiz-Olmo 1995). Two animals
killed in 1924 and one in 1935 in the Tortosa Mountains (Southwest Catalonia)
were the last wolves hunted in Catalonia (Ruiz-Olmo 1995; Aguilar-Amat 1924).
The wolf had therefore disappeared from the Pyrenees by the beginning of twentieth century. However, thanks to the natural dispersal of individuals from two
European populations (Italian and Cantabrian) the wolf has been living in the
Pyrenees for the last 20 years. Individuals from remaining populations of wolves in
northern Spain have sporadically dispersed into the western Pyrenees, but most
individuals are immediately eliminated. Italian wolves can also sporadically cross
the south-east France and reach the Eastern Pyrenees (France and Catalonia).
France and Catalonia are now protecting this population (Table 10.2), though it is
currently considered a group of lone individuals rather than a proper population.
Table 10.1 How many bears inhabit the Pyrenees Mountains?
Year
Minimum determinate number
Minimum revised number
a
2010
19
20
2011
22
23
2012
22
24
2013
25
28
2014
31
31
2015
29
32
2016
39
-
a The revision of last year can change the bear number of former years
238
S. Palazón
Lynx in the Pyrenees
The native brown bear population in the Pyrenees disappeared during the last 10
years, although the population located in the Central Pyrenees was wiped out earlier
in the 1990s (Camarra and Parde 1990; Parellada et al. 1995; Alonso et al. 1993;
Casanova 2005). The last female bear died in 2004, along with the oldest male, and
the last male died in 2010 (DARP 2015). Currently, there is only one male born
from a released Slovenian male and the last Pyrenees female. The current bear
population (Table 10.1) was reintroduced from a set of individuals captured in the
Balkans (Slovenia) and released in the Pyrenees in 1996–1997 (two females and
one male) in 2006 (four females and one male) (Quenette et al. 2000) and 2016 (one
male). In 2016, the bear population was divided into two areas: the Central
Pyrenees subpopulation, with more than 35 bears identified, and the Atlantic
Pyrenees subpopulation, with only two males identified.
The wolf was once distributed throughout Catalonia (NE Spain) from the
Mediterranean coast to the Pyrenees. At the end of the eighteenth century, 200–250
wolves were being hunted per year (0.8 wolves per 100 km
2 ), but by the beginning
of nineteenth century, only 10–50 wolves per year were killed (0.02 wolves per
100 km
2 ) (Ruiz-Olmo 1995). These data indicate the decline in the wolf population
in Catalonia and the Pyrenees. Population declines and extinctions spread progressively from east to west and north to south (Ruiz-Olmo 1995). Two animals
killed in 1924 and one in 1935 in the Tortosa Mountains (Southwest Catalonia)
were the last wolves hunted in Catalonia (Ruiz-Olmo 1995; Aguilar-Amat 1924).
The wolf had therefore disappeared from the Pyrenees by the beginning of twentieth century. However, thanks to the natural dispersal of individuals from two
European populations (Italian and Cantabrian) the wolf has been living in the
Pyrenees for the last 20 years. Individuals from remaining populations of wolves in
northern Spain have sporadically dispersed into the western Pyrenees, but most
individuals are immediately eliminated. Italian wolves can also sporadically cross
the south-east France and reach the Eastern Pyrenees (France and Catalonia).
France and Catalonia are now protecting this population (Table 10.2), though it is
currently considered a group of lone individuals rather than a proper population.
Table 10.1 How many bears inhabit the Pyrenees Mountains?
Year
Minimum determinate number
Minimum revised number
a
2010
19
20
2011
22
23
2012
22
24
2013
25
28
2014
31
31
2015
29
32
2016
39
-
a The revision of last year can change the bear number of former years
238
S. Palazón