Annual Report 2018 EuroNatur Foundation

Photo: Markus Essler - Brown bear (Ursus arctos)
Brown bear
The brown bear’s range once covered most of Europe. Today
brown bears in Europe are a highly endangered species. It
is no coincidence that they are under such strict protection.
But that is not enough. Even though in some areas
they are expanding their range again thanks to intensive
protective measures, they continue to be threatened by
humans. Habitat destruction and habitat fragmentation by
roads and settlements are putting these big furries under
pressure. Additional risk factors are illegal killings and
excessive cull quotas. In addition to the Balkan Peninsula,
the focus of EuroNatur’s brown bear protection activities
in 2018 was on northern Spain. The Cantabrian Mountains
host a small, isolated, and therefore particularly endangered
brown bear population. For further information please
refer to page 20.
Mediterranean monk seal
Mediterranean monk seals count among the world’s most
highly endangered marine mammals. Centuries of persecution
have resulted in the species disappearing from the
majority of its former range. Ecosystem destruction, marine
pollution and overfishing have brought the Mediterranean
monk seals to the brink of extinction. Human activities, and
tourism in particular, are threatening the important habitats
the seals need for resting and for rearing their young.
The last truly sizeable surviving colony of Mediterranean
monk seals lives at Cap Blanc, a peninsula on the Mauritanian
Atlantic coast. Suitable habitats can also be found
along the 16,000 km of Greek coastline. A small population
was able to survive on the Greek coast and has slowly been
recovering thanks to comprehensive protection measures.
We are working to ensure the Mediterranean monk seals’
renewed expansion in the eastern Adriatic Sea. For further
information please refer to page 21.
Photo: MOm / Panos Dendrinos - Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus)
15 Annual Report 2018
Europe’s large mammals