Connecting brown bears with climate-resilient food webs in Bulgaria

The document describes a WWF-Bulgaria project to mitigate the impact of climate change on brown bear populations by establishing nutrient-rich compost piles to attract protein-rich insects. This initiative aims to reduce bears' reliance on human settlements for food, particularly in the Western Rhodopes where conflicts have increased. The project found that surface-style compost piles with 40%–60% humidity best supported beetle larvae development and successfully attracted a bear. Additionally, the project fostered partnerships with hunters and foresters through education campaigns to support long-term conservation.

• Climate change is reducing the natural food base for brown bears in Bulgaria through erratic weather patterns, such as early thaws and late frosts, which damage wild fruit, oak, and insect populations. This food scarcity drives bears into human settlements, leading to a nearly twofold increase in bear-related incidents in the Western Rhodopes between 2023 and 2024.
• The project tested compost-based forest micro-refugia to attract protein-rich insects for bears. Monitoring indicated that surface-style compost piles characterized by 40%–60% humidity and higher ratios of leaves and branches relative to logs were most effective for microbial activity and beetle larvae development.
• Initial results suggest the micro-refugia are attractive to brown bears, as one compost pile containing larvae was visited by a bear during the project's short duration.
• Education and engagement efforts targeting youth, hunters, and foresters successfully created new partnerships and local support for conservation, despite existing tensions regarding human-bear conflict.

APA

WWF International (n.d.). Connecting brown bears with climate-resilient food webs in Bulgaria. https://www.worldwildlife.org/our-work/wildlife/wildlife-adaptation-innovation-fund/connecting-brown-bears-with-climate-resilient-food-webs-in-bulgaria/

Chicago

WWF International. Connecting brown bears with climate-resilient food webs in Bulgaria. n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/our-work/wildlife/wildlife-adaptation-innovation-fund/connecting-brown-bears-with-climate-resilient-food-webs-in-bulgaria/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Connecting brown bears with climate-resilient food webs in Bulgaria |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/our-work/wildlife/wildlife-adaptation-innovation-fund/connecting-brown-bears-with-climate-resilient-food-webs-in-bulgaria/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternationalndconnecting, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Connecting brown bears with climate-resilient food webs in Bulgaria}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/our-work/wildlife/wildlife-adaptation-innovation-fund/connecting-brown-bears-with-climate-resilient-food-webs-in-bulgaria/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }