Improving coexistence with large carnivores in Europe

through communication, cross-border cooperation and the exchange of knowledge.

What do we do

The purpose of this LIFE project is to provide a discussion space for people to share and learn about experiences of managing the presence of large carnivores. This includes various approaches across Europe, and aims to highlight the associated social, economic and ecological challenges. Topics include monitoring, conflict mitigation, damage prevention, security concerns, long-term effects on agriculture and hunting, management practices, as well as assisted economic opportunities.

We invite everyone to share their experiences with us.

More information about the project

Explore our world

Here you will find stories of cohabitation from all over Europe

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News

09.04.2019

Stakeholders roundtable kicks off in Italy

8-10 Apr 2019 – More than 20 representatives of relevant stakeholder groups are participating in the Italian stakeholder training table taking place in Vogogna, inside the Italian focus area in Piemonte.

The three-day training table is part of the B5 training acitivities of the EuroLargeCarnivore project and is aimed at those stakeholders in charge of managing and preserving wildlife, in particular local decision makers, conservation experts, monitoring and surveillance bodies, opinion makers and local associations.

The general focus of the training table is about the human dimension of the controversial relationship between large carnivores and human activities. Innovative methodologies and tools are presented by Eliante’s participation experts in order to improve communication and collaboration among stakeholders. In this training the group of participants wants to:

•   analyse the point the group is starting from
•   assess the best ways to involve all stakeholders during the process
•   propose techniques to understand stakeholders’ different priorities and develop empathy towards others
•   increase the understanding of conflict dynamics and negotiation mechanisms
•   define a shared action program

More trainings in spring 2019 took and take place in Portugal, Spain, Italy and Germany.

07.02.2019

Launch of communications & mediation trainings

28-30 Jan 2019 – Our first communications & mediation training for representatives and main actors in the area of large carnivores took place in Innsbruck, Austria. Twenty-four participants from different interest groups such as nature protection services, agriculture, veterinary medicine, forestry and hunting associations and NGOs attended the three-day workshop. We discussed the nature and extent of existing conflict, the relationships of the various actors, and possible causes for conflicts. The goal was to improve (conflict) communication skills and collaboration to benefit large carnivore conservation. In this case, this specifically applied to wolf conflicts in Tyrol, Austria. We trained the local conservation and management actors in consensus-oriented approaches and motivated them to create new ideas and strategies for future activities in this local area. It was the first of 16 communications & mediation trainings all over Europe. The next trainings will follow in spring 2019 in Portugal, Spain, Italy and Germany.

14.09.2018

Human Pathways Conference Goslar 2018

EuroLargeCarnivores has co-hosted the Human Pathways conference in Goslar. The conference proceedings can be downloaded here, and we've recorded selected sessions of the Stakeholder day on Wednesday Sep 19th from 9am to 6pm and provide and uploaded them here on our youtube channel.

03.09.2018

LifeLynx Project: Path of the Lynx Premiere

The LIFE Ly nx project is pleased to collaborate with EuroLargeCarnivores and to share one of our newest efforts. Below is the trailor of our new film, Path of the Lynx (also available here https://www.lifelynx.eu/

This documentary traces the historic efforts of hunters and foresters during the 1970s to reintroduce Eurasian lynx to the Dinaric mountains. The film premiered this summer in Slovenia and Croatia and has been shown at multiple film festivals. Path of the Lynx was recently awarded best of film at the Jamnarkult Film Festival in Slovenia in late August.

They will make the film publicly available via a host of social media platforms in January-2019. Additionally, the LifeLynx team will provide EuroLargeCarnivores with a unique look at this historic effort through the eyes Maks Konečnik, a prominent Slovenian hunter who took part in the effort.

14.08.2018

Baseline Survey Large Carnivores in Europe 2018

This survey is distributed in 12 European countries. We are asking rural and city people, livestock farmers, hunters, nature conservationists, politicians and everybody else who wants to contribute to understanding challenges and expectations, and collecting new ideas and proven solutions. We ask how you see the current situation of large carnivores in Europe, your level of engagement in the topic and your suggestions for how to improve the situation. We also ask some personal questions to be able to compare your views with the perspectives of interest groups in different countries. All your responses, information and data will be treated anonymously according to the EU Privacy Policy, and will only be analysed and reported upon only in the aggregated form of all survey submissions.

It will take 20-30 minutes to answer all questions. Please take your time, and feel free to fill in only those questions you feel comfortable with.

Thank you for your contribution!

Go to survey >

14.08.2018

Towards a European Wolf Plan

At the EP Inter-parliamentary conference "Defend pastoralism: towards a European Wolf Plan", Commissioner Vella held a speech and emphasized the fact that achieving coexistence with large carnivores in the EU is a strategic priority of our Nature policy. The return of the wolf might be a disruptive factor for some - including the sheep farming industry. The Commission identified the challenges for the sheep and goat sectors and provides several different types of support to help Member States and the sector address these problems with the current Common Agricultural Policy. These include direct payments, voluntary coupled support, payments for Areas with Natural Constraints and other rural development measures. Furthermore the Commission supports communication and exchange within Europe, for example with the EuroLargeCarnivores project.

Read full speech