Natura 2000 newsletter Issue 21

This publication examines the state-of-play of efforts to conserve large carnivore species. The Habitats Directive requires the protection of large carnivores (such as brown bear, wolf, wolverine, Iberian lynx and Eurasian lynx) on the basis that in many areas they are endangered. However, in trying to protect and conserve these species the challenges associated with promoting a successful co-existence between human populations and large carnivores cannot be ignored. There is a need to provide the right balance between overall conservation objectives and the legitimate concerns of local people: conservation policies will not be successful if they are not supported by the people who live in Europe’s wilder, nature-rich areas. It is therefore crucial to learn to live with large carnivores.