Catalonia expands wildlife monitoring of rabbits and brown bears

A pilot project in the Lleida region of Catalonia is using small radio transmitters attached to rabbits and a network of antennas to track their movements and anticipate crop damage. Researchers from the Institute of Advanced Social Studies of Córdoba, under the CSIC, visit the fields of Tàrrega, Torregrossa and Raimat each month to service the antennas and collect data, allowing targeted control measures such as hunting in specific zones.

In the neighboring Vall d'Aran, the conservation group Depana, together with the Conselh Generau d'Aran, recorded unprecedented footage of two female brown bears each accompanied by three cubs. The two‑month spring monitoring captured the bears' behavior and contributed to a broader assessment that shows a rising brown‑bear population in the Pyrenees, although the species remains endangered under EU protection.

Both initiatives illustrate Catalonia's growing use of scientific monitoring to manage wildlife impacts and support species recovery.