LIFE DinPin Bear project begins brown bear monitoring in Montenegro and Serbia

The LIFE DinPin Bear international project has launched activities to monitor and protect brown bear populations in Montenegro and Serbia through non-invasive genetic sampling.

In Montenegro, the Center for Protection and Monitoring of Birds of Montenegro is conducting workshops for hunters and local stakeholders to teach the correct methodology for collecting genetic samples, such as hair or scat, without disturbing the animals. This data will help identify individual bears and provide a more accurate assessment of the population's size and health.

In Serbia, a large-scale counting and monitoring effort is underway across several mountain massifs, including Tara, Zlatibor, Golija, and the southwestern regions of Jadovnik and Zlatar. This initiative, involving the University of Belgrade and the Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia, aims to collect between 300 and 500 samples to establish a standardized population estimate. Previous expert estimates placed the Serbian population between 120 and 150 individuals. The genetic data will be used to study genetic diversity and population connectivity to inform future conservation and sustainable management strategies.