The Bear Charter

The bear, in its wildness, challenges our beliefs by challenging our habits, limits and boundaries. The bear stimulates us to ask questions and find solutions, to dialogue, work and exchange thoughts. We learn eventually to cohabit and coexist, with the bear and with the wild world in general.

The bear is an opportunity to change our relationship with Nature.

We, as “Orsi e Formiche”, believe that learning to coexist with animals like the bear is probably the key to learning to conserve Nature and ourselves. And what is good for bears, is also good for humans.

If you also believe in this treasure, read, sign and spread this pledge. If you believe in this treasure, make it a reality.

Together we can design a better future for bears. A better future for us!

• All living beings are interconnected, and therefore humans and bears are part of the same ecosystem.
• The bear has a shared ecological, cultural and social value. A constitutionally and internationally recognised common good.
• The bear is unique, rare and endangered.
• L’orso per vivere ha bisogno di spazio, di foreste e altri ambienti, di posti sicuri. Posti tranquilli dove vivere, mangiare, riposare e riprodursi.
• The Apennine Mountains are a land where bears have always lived.
• The bear to survive it needs space, forests and diverse environments and safe, quiet places to live and therefore also our commitment.
• Animals, like the bear, have no choices and can only adapt, for better or worse. Finding solutions or mitigating conflicts is part of living together and it is us who have the opportunity to find a way to give each other space.
• There are solutions to conflicts and as a community we can always develop options to prevent bears from becoming unwanted
• To co-exist is to give each other space.
• Coexisting with bears is possible and requires sincere collaboration between citizens, institutions and associations.
• Coesistere con l’orso è possibile e passa attraverso la sincera collaborazione tra cittadini, istituzioni e associazioni.
• With my behaviour I can encourage this process, helping to turn conflicts into opportunities.

• to educate myself about the characteristics and needs of bears and the risks to their survival;
• to consider the needs of the bear as part of my daily life;
• to give space to the bear. To respect it. To keep the right distance in case of an encounter, to put its well-being and tranquillity before my curiosity;
• to minimise disturbance by not leaving hiking trails and not going into remote wilderness areas;
• to protect and secure from bears all possible food sources that might attract them within residential areas and on my property or on roads;
• to collaborate, raise awareness and involve people around me on bear conservation;
• to collaborate with non-profit organisations or protected areas on practical actions for nature conservation;
• to promote coexistence with bears as a social and cultural value;
• to avoid sensationalism and polarisation, sticking to the facts and solutions, investigating before sharing news and not making illegal behaviour go viral;
• to watch over public entities so that the needs of bears are respected and taken into account in their policies.