Press release of Simbruini Nature Park
(Jenne, November, 15 2012)
Following the recent news reported by some media regarding the Marsican brown bear in the territory of the Simbruini Nature Park, the presence of the plantigrade, after the first sighting on September 26, has been confirmed by other sightings and signs of presence, which have established its frequentation of the districts of Filettino and Trevi in Lazio Region.
The Extraordinary Commissioner Maurizio Lucidi points out that the Simbruini Nature Park has been engaged for years in monitoring the presence of the Marsican brown bear. Such monitoring, conducted as part of specific protocols and projects (“PATOM: Action Plan for the Protection of the Marsican Bear” and “Life Arctos”) has highlighted the presence of the species throughout the protected area.
From a naturalistic viewpoint, it should be noted that reintroductions of Marsican brown bear have never been carried out either in the Regional Park of the Monti Simbruini nor in any area of the Central Apennines, and the species in question is endangered with extinction with an extremely small number of specimens, mostly concentrated in the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise.
Maurizio Lucidi and Alberto Foppoli confirm that monitoring and measures in the above-mentioned projects are still in progress in the park in order to verify the presence of new bears on the territory and favour their presence through the concession of electric fences to farmers, appropriate forestry interventions, poaching fighting and a proper hunting plan outside the protected area.
Along with the State Forestry Corps, in a recent press release, the Park Authority also reassures the population about the bear, as it is an elusive animal. Besides, the same press release emphasizes the added value that the presence of this rare animal may provide to a protected area such as the Regional Park of the Monti Simbruini.