On January 22, our association’s work to protect the Marsican brown bear received an important international award: the Italian Defender Awards 2025 in the Defenders of the Wild category, dedicated to the protection of the most vulnerable species. To be awarded was our Bear Smart Landscape project , a model of human-bear conflict prevention based on concrete actions – electrified fences, anti-bear bins, secured orchards – and constant dialogue with local communities.
The prize consists of the provision of a Defender 4×4 for two years, a grant of 120,000 euros, and a training program led by industry professionals. These resources will make it possible to strengthen monitoring of the territory, enhance field operations, and continue awareness-raising efforts with local communities, promoting peaceful coexistence with bears.
Thanks to this support, our association will also be able to open a new operational headquarters in the Roveto Valley, one of the bear’s main areas of expansion, expanding its presence in territories where logistics are more complex but prevention work is especially necessary.
The official handover of the vehicle took place on March 18 in Pettorano sul Gizio, during a press conference attended not only by staff from our association and Defender but also by journalists from major national publications. The event also provided an opportunity to visit the Small Museum of the Bear and Coexistence, located in the town and dedicated to telling the story of the relationship between local communities and the Marsican brown bear.
Below are some of the articles covering this great achievement:
– Defender Awards, an award dedicated to protecting the Marsican brown bear;
– Defender Awards 2026: Italy wins the wildlife award;
– The Abruzzo-based organization Salviamo l’Orso wins the 2026 “Defenders of the Wild” award;
– Defender Awards: The “Salviamo l’Orso” Association Receives an Award;
– Defender Awards: The “Salviamo l’Orso” association received a Defender 110 for two years;
– A Defender in the Apennines, working to protect the Marsican brown bear.