Do you own an accommodation facility?

With your work you can give bears a voice and teach ethical and conscious use of the mountains, and help your community to coexist with bears

READING TIME 5 MIN

If you own an accommodation facility, a restaurant, or a campsite, with small conscious actions both inside and outside a protected area, you can help nature remain wild. There’s only one rule to follow: do not attract bears and do not teach them that food can be found around humans.

Unattended food supplies, sources of strong odors, or fruit trees can become a real “dinner invitation” for bears!

Is it really possible to prevent this? Yes, with simple precautions in your daily routine and by encouraging your guests to adopt mindful, responsible behaviors that benefit the entire community.

Securing everything that might attract bears is the only way to prevent property damage, avoid dangerous situations for both bears and people, and keep bears from becoming problematic.

With your work, you are also among the first to be able to give bears a voice and teach ethical and conscious use of the mountains and generate a butterfly effect for nature conservation.

Read this list of good practices and find the one(s) that suit you best:

Remove from your garden any trees and shrubs that produce fruits attractive to bears (such as apples, pears, cherries, plums, grapes, figs, blackberries, and raspberries). Replace them with non-fruiting varieties or species whose fruits are not appealing to bears (for example: quinces).

If you don’t want to remove the plants, you can use gardening techniques to prevent them from fruiting. If you decide to let them bear fruit, make sure to harvest the fruit when it is ripe (or just before), and do not allow fallen fruit to accumulate on the ground.

If you’re unable to do it yourself, ask a friend, neighbor, a volunteer organization, or the nearest Park Authority for help — you’ll surely find someone willing to listen and lend a hand.

Do not leave pet food or animal feed accessible on your property. Store it safely inside your building or in a secure storage area.

If you manage a campsite, consider designing designated areas to secure any food or odor sources from wildlife — for example, elevated platforms like those used in North American campsites, or bear-proof storage units.

If your facility has barbecue areas, always ensure that grills are thoroughly cleaned after use.

If your municipality has door-to-door waste collection, place the bins outside only in the morning and no more than two hours before collection time — never at night — and request the use of bear-resistant bins.

Do not leave pet food or animal feed accessible on your property. Store it safely inside your building or in a secure storage area.

If your facility has barbecue areas, always ensure that grills are thoroughly cleaned after use.

Inform your guests! If you work in a protected area, make sure you stay up to date on regulations and temporary closures of areas or trails, so you can provide accurate information to your guests.

Share educational materials about bears and how to behave around wildlife. These can be downloaded from our website or requested from your nearest protected area authority.

Recommend responsible, knowledgeable guides who are sensitive to the issue of wildlife disturbance and can help your clients enjoy nature without harming it.

Inform your guests! If you work in a protected area, make sure you stay up to date on regulations and temporary closures of areas or trails, so you can provide accurate information to your guests.

Share educational materials about bears and how to behave around wildlife. These can be downloaded from our website or requested from your nearest protected area authority.

Recommend responsible, knowledgeable guides who are sensitive to the issue of wildlife disturbance and can help your clients enjoy nature without harming it.

If you encounter a bear, stay calm.Always try to give the bear space — make sure it has an escape route — and back away slowly.

Encourage your neighbors or guests to do the same, and contact the nearest Carabinieri station or Park Rangers.

Report the presence of habituated and/or problematic animals to the proper authorities and request support if sightings become frequent.

If you encounter a bear, stay calm.Always try to give the bear space — make sure it has an escape route — and back away slowly.

Encourage your neighbors or guests to do the same, and contact the nearest Carabinieri station or Park Rangers.

Report the presence of habituated and/or problematic animals to the proper authorities and request support if sightings become frequent.

On social media, your website, and any materials related to your facility, use appropriate images of bears and other wildlife. Promote responsible and experiential tourism that does not exploit or commercialize the wildlife of your area.

Recommend responsible, knowledgeable guides who are informed and sensitive to the issue of wildlife disturbance.

For the future of the bear, every small action counts. Spread knowledge, raise awareness, make a difference.

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