Telemetry Study of the Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx) in the Rivnenskyi Nature Reserve: First Insights Into Lynx Home Ranges in Ukraine

Romania V 21-24 October 2025 IV. TusnadEcoBear Conference Contacts Event organisation, venue, accommodation, logistics and program: István Imecs - Project Bag Association E-mail: asociatiap[email protected] Tel: +40 743 775 213 Scientific content, speakers, and topics (until 08.2025): Alexandra Sallay-Mosoi - WWF Romania E-mail: asalla[email protected] Tel: +40 728 424 667 Coordination of CoCo project conference participation and workshop chairman: Mihai I. Pop E-mail: p[email protected] Tel: +40 740 201 079 Content and editing of the Book of Abstracts: Nándor Erős E-mail: [email protected] Tel: +40 756 306 431 Moderator: Radu Pircă E-mail: [email protected] Revised by: Members of TusnadEcoBear Team ISSN: 3100-4075 ISSN-L: 3100-4075 IV. TusnadEcoBear Conference 21 - 24 October 2025 Hotel O3Zone, Aleea Sfânta Ana 2 Băile Tușnad 535100, Romania 2 Welcome Address A conference about people and bears, about coexistence. The aim of the event is to bring together a variety of views, competences and experiences from various experts from Europe and beyond, on the topic of human-large carnivore coexistence. The discussions shall foster the generation of practical and viable solutions for reducing human-wildlife conflicts in human dominated landscapes. The conference seeks to identify the current level of knowledge regarding the management of brown bear populations across Europe, as well as best and negative practices. The interaction between key international experts and young participants is highly encouraged in order to build capacity in terms of coping with future challenges (including the ones derived from climate change). The conference is organised as part of the CERV project (101146879) ”Coexisting with bears - Conservation needs Conversation!” funded by the European Union and implemented with the support of the ProjectBag Association (Destination Management Unit - Băile Tușnad and Surroundings ecotourism destination), Mayor’s Office of Băile Tușnad, WWF-Romania, WWF Bulgaria, WWF Hungary, BOKU University, Austria) and New Horizons Bulgaria. The conference is also supported by: - the ”TusnadEcoBear: Connect & Conserve” project, which receives funding from Bears in Mind foundation; - the ”Co-creating coexistence: Advancing policies, practices, and stakeholder engagement for integrating wildlife and livestock into sustainable multi-functional landscapes in Europe” project funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe – Research and Innovation programme (grant agreement No. 101181958); - the Harghita County Council through the Csomád-Bálványos Intercommunity Development Association. Respectfully, TusnadEcoBear Team István Imecs (Project Bag Association, Romania) +40 743 775 213 [email protected] 3 Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV) Coexisting with bears Conservation needs Conversation! CERV COEXISTENCE – PROJECT SUMMARY “Coexisting with bears – Conservation needs Conversation!” (GA-Nr. 101146879) Across EU member states, large-carnivore management is becoming increasingly challenging as both human safety and the conservation of wildlife populations have to be considered. There is a lack of a clear long-term vision for achieving and maintaining coexistence between humans and bears in many Eastern European countries, where human-bear conflicts are frequent. Rural communities are those actually affected and often ignored by the state authorities and other relevant stakeholders when it comes to establishing and implementing coexistence management plans. Therefore this project aims to foster participatory decision-making and collaborative management among the key stakeholders from 3 pilot countries (Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary) under the umbrella of academic knowledge and guidance (Austria) while promoting and ensuring active community engagement (local/regional community and general public) to provide guidelines for sustainable coexistence plans that go beyond changing political positions of local and state authorities. Thus, the project seeks to foster a sense of ownership and shared responsibility for brown bear conservation. Special attention will be paid to youth education and engagement to increase understanding, knowledge about human-bear conflict and the species management, while building empathy and support for bears in the upcoming decision-making generation. At present, policy debates and decision-making processes around coexistence with bears are conducted with a poor share of democratic/intercultural competence in traditionally patriarchal societies, thus the project targets the pro-active participation of marginalized groups such as women and ethnic and religious minorities. Lessons learned and best practices will be shared at the national and European levels and it will make sure that activities implemented remain operative and efficient after the project ends. This project contributes substantially to the implementation of EU and national policies. https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/programmes/cerv ă ș Program IV.TusnadEcoBearConf Monday – 20 October 18:00 Welcome - Icebreaker (Hotel O3Zone) - ”Ion Creangă” conference room Address: Aleea Sfânta Ana 2, Băile Tușnad 535100 Tuesday – 21 October 8:00 - 09:30 Registration (Hotel O3Zone) 09:30 - 10:00 Conference opening and introduction (EN/RO) ”Mihai Eminescu” Conference Room Session 1: Carnivore Conservation in Multi-Use Landscapes 10:00 - 11:00 John D. C. Linnell (Norvay) - Keynote Speaker (Professor at the University of Inland Norway and Senior scientist at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research) 11:00 - 11:20 Silvia Borlea (Romania): Impact of Land Use on Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions in Romania 11:20 - 11:40 Jörg Fabian Knufinke (Austria): Wolves in Austria – Modelling Socio-Economic Conflict and Habitat Potential to Inform Coexistence 11:40 - 12:00 Robin Rigg (Slovakia): Co-Creating Coexistence in Shared Landscapes 12:00 - 12:30 Coffee break / Networking / Art for Coexistence – Exhibition & Auction 12:30 - 12:50 Roman Cherepanyn (Ukraine): Telemetry Study of the Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx) in the Rivnenskyi Nature Reserve: First Insights Into Lynx Home Ranges in Ukraine - online 12:50 - 13:10 Dagmar Mirzoev, Lucie Baránková (Czech Republic): Current State of Harmonizing Monitoring, Conflict Prevention, and Anti-Poaching in the Carpathians: Insights from the ‘Setting the Scene’ Phase 13:10 - 13:30 Anna Steluta Manolache (Romania): A Structured Taxonomy and Decision-Making Framework for Human-Bear Interactions in Romania 13:30 - 13:50 Martin Duľa (Czech Republic): Project LECA – Supporting the Coexistence and Conservation of Carpathian Large Carnivores: Preliminary Outcomes from Monitoring and Conflict prevention Efforts Targeting Wolves and Bears in the Beskydy-Kysuce and Tatra Pilots 13:50 - 15:20 Lunch break (Hotel restaurant) / Networking / Art for Coexistence – Exhibition & Auction 15:20 - 15:40 Michal Haring (Slovakia): Improving Human-Bear Coexistence: Testing of Bear-Resistant Solutions in Slovakia 15:40 - 16:00 Sybille Klenzendorf (Germany): Test Results for Piloting SMART Conservation Software for Human-Wildlife Conflict Monitoring 16:00 - 16:20 Enache Costin (Romania): Monitoring Eurasian Lynx Population Using Camera Trapping in the Southern Carpathians of Romania 16:20 - 16:40 Szabó Szilárd (Romania): Characteristics of Bear-Related Damage Assessment in Harghita County 16:40 - 17:00 Alice Ouvrier (France): What Pastoralism and Bears Share: When Humans and Animals Shape Landscapes of Coexistence 5 17:00 - 17:10 Poster section Eliana Sevianu (Romania): Recolonization of Grey Wolves in Human-Dominated Transylvanian Landscapes: Land-Use Change, Coexistence, and Sustainable Development Robin Rigg (Slovakia): Carnivore Damage Prevention News (CDPnews) 17:10 - 17:30 Coffee break / Networking / Art for Coexistence – Exhibition & Auction ”Petőfi Sándor” Conference Room Session 2: Carnivore Ecology in a Changing World: Climate and Habitat Challenges 17:30 - 18:30 Cristian-Remus Papp (Romania) - Keynote Speaker (Wildlife and Landscapes National Manager, WWF-Romania / Associate Lecturer, Babes-Bolyai University) 18:30 - 18:50 Máthé István (Romania): The Impact of Climate Change on Surface Waters of Large Carnivore Habitats in Szeklerland (Romania) 18:50 - 19:10 Ágnes Keresztesi (Romania): Climate Change in Romania and Implications for Ecosystems 19:30 Dinner - ”Mihai Eminescu” conference room Wednesday – 22 October 8:00 - 09:00 Registration (Hotel O3Zone) ”Mihai Eminescu” Conference Room Session 3: Hunting, Population Management and Conservation: Balancing Ethics & Management Needs 9:00 - 10:00 Klemen Jerina (Slovenia) - Keynote Speaker (Professor at the University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department For Forestry and Renewable Forest Resources) 10:00 - 10:20 Andra Neagu (Romania): Wildlife at Risk: A Media-Based Analysis of Wildlife Poaching in Romania 10:20 - 10:40 Mihai I. Pop (Romania): The Illusion of Optimum: Why Habitat Scores Are Unreliable for Brown Bear Management Decisions? 10:40 - 11:10 Coffee break / Networking / Art for Coexistence – Exhibition & Auction Session 4: Local Community and Local Economy Roles in Carnivore Conservation 11:10 - 12:10 Özgün Emre Can (Turkey) - Keynote Speaker (Assistant Professor at Ankara University, Department of Biology) 12:10 - 12:30 Emese Kozma-Kis (Romania): From Education to Action: Youth Empowerment and Community Participation in Human–Wildlife Coexistence 12:30 - 12:50 Michal Feller (Czech Republic): From Data to Dialogue: The Role of Volunteer Monitoring in Large Carnivore Conservation 12:50 - 13:10 István Szabó (Romania): Collaborative Development of a Bear Smart Touristic Business Plan 13:10 - 13:30 Brady Mattsson (Austria): Beyond Reinvention: Toward Transparent Decisions for Community Engagement in Bear Conservation 13:30 - 14:40 Lunch break (Hotel restaurant)/ Networking / Art for Coexistence – Exhibition & Auction 14:40 - 15:00 Romana Uhrinová (Czech Republic): Between Fear and Fascination: Attitudes Toward Wolves, Bears, and Lynx in Czech Borderlands 15:00 - 15:20 Ovidiu Stancu (Romania): Captive Bear Dilemma 15:20 - 15:40 Michal Haring (Slovakia): Brown Bear Conservation in Slovakia: The Rising Role of NGOs and Scientists 15:40 - 16:00 István Imecs (Romania): Empowering youth for human–large carnivore coexistence: education and engagement outcomes 16:00 - 16:20 Coffee break / Networking / Art for Coexistence – Exhibition & Auction 6 Session 5: Camera Traps, AI and Drones: The Future of Carnivore Research and Conflict Prevention 16:20 - 17:20 Dimitris Bormpoudakis (Greece) - Keynote Speaker (Callisto - Wildlife and Nature Conservation Society): Keynote Presentation: Emergent Technologies for Human–Wildlife Coexistence 17:20 - 17:40 Ruben Iosif (Romania): Wolf Population Size and Composition in One of Europe’s Strongholds, the Romanian Carpathians 17:40 - 18:00 Cosmin-Andrei Conțu (Romania): RO-BEAR: A Year of Progress in Bear Sighting Monitoring 18:00 - 18:20 Claudiu Olenici (Romania): AnimAlert Digital Platform – Between Citizen Science and Stakeholders’ Actions 18:20 - 18:40 László Gál (Romania): Does Supplementary Feeding Affect Brown Bear Habituation and Human–Bear Conflicts? ”Petőfi Sándor” conference room 18:45 - 20:00 Panel discussion: Is Human-Bear Coexistence Feasible Under the Current Human Landscape Domination? Part 1. Authority perspective (RO) Part 2. Civil, academic, national park’s and LCIE perspective (EN) 20:00 Dinner - ”Mihai Eminescu” conference room Thursday – 23 October: Field trip & on-site Workshop 9:30 - 10:30 Departure by bus to the Mohos Peat Bog – Lake Saint Anne Natura 2000 site (ROSCI0248). 10:30 - 10:45 Reception by Levente Dósa (Executive Director of the Pro Szent Anna Association and the Director of the Administration of Saint Anne Lake and the Mohos Peat Bog) in the parking area, followed by a brief introduction of the visitor center 10:45 - 13:00 István Szabó (Foundation Conservation Carpathia, Romania): Knowledge-sharing workshop on bear-smart business plans (location: visitor center) 13:00 - 14:00 Lunch on site (location: visitor center) 14:00 - 17:00 Levente Dósa, guided tour: Mohos Peat Bog and Saint Anne Lake, as well as the particularities of the daily coexistence with bears 17:00 - 18:00 Return trip by bus to the Hotel O3Zone (Address: Aleea Sfânta Ana 2, Băile Tușnad 535100) 19:00 - 02:00 Gala dinner Live concert, wine & snacks (Tulip restaurant and event hall) We will provide a welcome package for everyone in attendance, which includes wine, spirits, water, soft drinks, and appetizers. Afterward, additional drinks can be purchased at the bar. Address: 50 meters from the O3Zone hotel (restaurantlaleaua.com) 7 Friday – 24 October: Workshop day - Participation is by invitation only, whereas the audience may attend freely ”Petőfi Sándor” Conference Room Workshop 1. - Main language: EN Brady Mattsson & Jörg Fabian Knufinke (Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, BOKU University, Austria): Stakeholder Workshop - Brown Bear Management 9:30 - 10:00 Registration & Welcome Coffee 10:00 - 10:15 Workshop opening and introductory presentation 10:15 - 11:15 Interactive session 13:00 - 14:00 Lunch break (Hotel restaurant)/ Networking / Art for Coexistence – Exhibition & Auction 14:00 - 15:30 Interactive session 15:30 - 16:00 Conclusions & EU survey ”Mihai Eminescu” Conference Room Workshop 2. - Main language: RO Mihai I. Pop (Research and Development Institute for Wildlife and Mountain Resources, Miercurea Ciuc, Romania): Designing Potential Scenarios for Collaboration Between Pastoralism and Wildlife Management 9:00 - 9:30 Registration & Welcome Coffee 9:30 - 10:00 Presentation of CoCo project & Workshop goal 10:00 - 10:20 Presentation of the Methodology 10:20 - 10:50 Interactive session part (1) – Individual work 10:50 - 11:20 Coffee break 11:20 - 13:00 Interactive session part (2) – Group work 13:00 - 14:00 Lunch break (Hotel restaurant)/ Networking / Art for Coexistence – Exhibition & Auction 8 Contents Tuesday, 21 October Session 1: Carnivore Conservation in Multi-Use Landscapes 12 John Linnell: Keynote Presentation: What Does Successful Wildlife Conservation Look Like in HumanDominated Landscapes: Legal, Ecological, and Social Perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Silvia Borlea, Marius Nistorescu, Alexandra Doba, Radu Mot: Impact of Land Use on Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions in Romania . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Jörg Fabian Knufinke, Florian Kunz, Luca Fuchs, Matthias Amon, Klaus Hackländer, Jennifer Hatlauf: Wolves in Austria – Modelling Socio-Economic Conflict and Habitat Potential to Inform Coexistence .......................................... 14 Robin Rigg, Daniel Collado, Katrina Marsden, John Linnell: Co-Creating Coexistence in Shared Landscapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Roman Cherepanyn, Mykhailo Franchuk, Jakub Kubala, Yuriy Andreychuk, Ihor Dykyy, Taras Yamelynets: Telemetry Study of the Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx) in the Rivnenskyi Nature Reserve: First Insights Into Lynx Home Ranges in Ukraine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Martin Duľa, Jakub Kubala, David Sütő, Branislav Tám, Dagmar Mirzoev, Lucie Baránková: Current State of Harmonizing Monitoring, Conflict Prevention, and Anti-Poaching in the Carpathians: Insights from the ‘Setting the Scene’ Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Anna Steluța Manolache, Teodora Sin, Lavinia Pândaru, Marian Mirea, Mihai Pop: A Structured Taxonomy and Decision-Making Framework for Human-Bear Interactions in Romania............................................ 18 Martin Duľa, Romana Uhrinová, Mikuláš Hančin, Štefan Renčo, Tomasz-Zwijacz-Kozica: Project LECA – Supporting the Coexistence and Conservation of Carpathian Large Carnivores: Preliminary Outcomes from Monitoring and Conflict prevention Efforts Targeting Wolves and Bears in the Beskydy-Kysuce and Tatra Pilots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Michal Haring: Improving Human-Bear Coexistence: Testing of Bear-Resistant Solutions in Slovakia . . . 20 Sybille Klenzendorf, Alex Wyatt: Test Results for Piloting SMART Conservation Software for Human-Wildlife Conflict Monitoring............................................. 21 Costin Enache, Ruben Iosif, Zsolt Miholcea, Barbara Promberger-Fuerpass: Monitoring Eurasian Lynx Population Using Camera Trapping in the Southern Carpathians ofRomania .......................................... 22 Szilárd Szabó: Characteristics of Bear-Related Damage Assessment in Harghita County . . . . . . . . . . 23 9