Wildlife conflicts between humans and Brown Bears, Ursus arctos, in the Central Zagros, Iran

Abstract

We collected information on human-bear conflicts in the Central Zagros Mountains through questionnaires and field surveys during which we recorded scats, tracks and broken branches in orchards. Persecution, poaching, and trading of bear body parts to cure some diseases are the most important threats to the Brown Bear, Ursus arctos. Financial losses due to bears attacking livestock, cattle and beehives in the region were calculated to be more than € 18,400 during 2006-2011. Also three villagers were killed by bears between 2005 and 2010 and 18 Brown Bears were killed by local people and nomads within nine years.