How do hunters get along with big predators on their grounds? That’s a question, which bothers mainly those countries, where big predators such as bears are not common nowadays. Christine Sonvilla, who is contributing photographer and author of the long-term project „Living on the edge – Brown bears in Central Europe“, has compiled an article tackling exactly this question for the Upper Austrian hunting association. Hunters from Austria are interested in better understanding, how Slovenian hunters perceive bears, how they co-exist with them, what exactly that means and if that even comes along with any benefits for the hunting ground or the society.

For this Christine, who is cooperating with LIFE DINALP BEAR within the scope of her project „Living on the edge“, has elaborated on topics such as legal hunting quota for bears, trophy hunting as well as bear-watching tourism. As an example of good practice she discussed some actions undertaken by LIFE DINALP BEAR, such as the implementation of protective measures already resulting in fewer damages and the success of the label „Bear friendly“. In her opinion, these actions make a difference in promoting coexistence between humans and big predators and need to be spread throughout the project area and beyond.

The article is available in the current September issue of the hunting association’s magazine „OÖ Jäger“.

To find out more about the photo project „Living on the edge – Brown bears in Central Europe“ , have a look at their project’s website.

Photos: Miran Krapež

Miha Krofel

Christine Sonvilla