Rewilding Earth Podcast Episode 159

Europe’s Big Three – Wolves, Bears, Lynx

Part 2: The Brown Bear’s Rocky Return to the Pyrenees

Release Date: October 31, 2025
Host: Jack Humphrey
Special Contributor: Julius Purcell
Guests/Voices: Steve Cracknell, Adrien Desrusseaux, Magali Bro, Alain Rennes, Amandine

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the tumultuous journey of the brown bear’s return to the French Pyrenees, tracing the dramatic comeback of reintroduced Slovenian bears and the resulting culture war that pits traditional livestock farmers against modern conservationists. Julius Purcell travels through the Pyrenean landscape to uncover the social, political, and ecological complexities surrounding the rewilding of bears, exposing the deep tensions between historical tradition and contemporary environmental priorities.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Loss and Return of the Brown Bear

• Extinction of Native Bears:
  The native Pyrenean brown bear, Ursus arctus pyreneucus, was declared extinct in France in 2004 when the last known female, Canel, was killed by a hunter.

  “The last female bear... was killed by a hunter on November 1, 2004, named Canel. She was the last of her kind in France.” (Narrator, 04:07)

• Reintroduction Efforts:
  Bear reintroduction began years prior, with Slovenian bears released in 1996 and 1997. The population grew from just 3 to over 100 bears within 28 years.

  “In the last 28 years, that population has grown from three to over 100.” (Narrator, 04:35)

• Pyros the Patriarch:
  Pyros, a male Slovenian bear released in 1997, sired the majority of the current bear population, raising concerns over inbreeding.

  “There’s been one dominant bear, Pyros... he mated with his daughters and his granddaughters... 75% of Pyrenean bears and more were directly related to him.” (Steve Cracknell, 17:44)

Cultural and Historical Roots of Resistance

• Fierce Local Opposition:
  Deep-rooted historical mistrust towards state intervention and large predators is especially potent in the Ariege region, fueled by local traditions of rebellion and insurrection against French authority.

  “That’s part of the Aries tradition of rebellion against the state. And that tradition is still well known in the area.” (Steve Cracknell, 10:10)

• Dramatic Protests:
  Farmers and shepherds express outrage over livestock losses linked (sometimes tenuously) to bears.

  “Videos from the time show shepherds flinging buckets of sheep’s blood at public buildings.” (Julius Purcell, 09:39)

  Extreme rhetoric and masked threats have surfaced, such as vows to illegally hunt bears.

  “Shepherds, hikers, hunters. We have decided to resume hunting bears in the Ariege.” (Narrator, 11:02)

State and European Union Policy

• Legal Framework & Funding:
  The EU Habitats Directive gave brown bears the highest protected status. Conservation subsidies are conditional:

  “The deal is: Restore nature, get money for rural communities.” (Narrator, 08:33)

  Subsidies support not only bear protection but also rural shepherding jobs, protection measures, and infrastructure.

  “Shepherding communities have actually been saved by state and EU nature subsidies... 600 assistants in the summer months.” (Alain Rennes, 14:43)

• Controversy Over Compensation & Subsidies:
  Some local shepherds, like Magali Bro, say compensation processes are slow and difficult, and that state protection measures (like guard dogs and fences) aren’t always effective in the harsh Pyrenean environment.

  “Magaly is explaining that it has to be decided by a commission... if an attack can be attributed to a bear.” (Narrator, 13:23)

  Nevertheless, attacks have not increased in step with bear numbers:

  “There are over 100 bears. And there’s three times less damage than in 2019. Why? Because the state has funded protection measures.” (Alain Rennes, 15:29)

Media Representation and Public Perception

• Media Bias:
  National and international media often favor sensational stories of conflict rather than quieter tales of coexistence.

  “Angry shepherds throwing sheep’s blood is a better story than people just quietly working out ways of sharing their landscape with wild animals.” (Narrator, 16:19)

  This has distorted public understanding of the nuanced situation, painting only a “sterile binary” of pro- or anti-bear stances.

• Generational Shifts in Attitude:
  Many younger locals, like Amandine, express acceptance and even pride in the presence of bears:

  “For me, bears are a part of the mountains. I can’t imagine mountains without bears.” (Amandine, 27:48)

  Public support for bears remains strong nationwide, even if local support is more tenuous.

Ecological Implications

• Ecology of Fear and Regeneration:
  Bears benefit ecosystems by spreading seeds and influencing herbivore behavior, which curtails overgrazing and allows forest regeneration.

  “They eat seeds... so they will distribute them somewhere else. They will have seeds in their fur which will drop elsewhere.” (Steve Cracknell, 17:09)

• Genetic Bottleneck:
  The limited genetic pool among bears threatens long-term viability—the only solution is further bear releases, yet these are blocked by political and social stalemate.

  “How do you increase the genetic viability? Well, you release more bears, but if you release more bears, you anger the farmers.” (Julius Purcell, 18:19)

• European Variation:
  While the Pyrenean bears face conflict and genetic peril, Cantabrian brown bears (in northern Spain) are thriving—highlighting how tolerance and coexistence are influenced by cultural memory and regional specifics.

  “Bear tolerance seems to be a phenomenon specific to the Cantabrian region... Pyrenean livestock farmers had got used to living without bears for generations.” (Narrator, 29:18)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Resistance to Bears:
  “The more they oppose bears, the more financial help they get. There’s jobs for shepherds, a lot of money... and the damage has decreased. Today, I have to say, cohabitation with bears is a minor problem.”
  – Alain Rennes, [14:43]

• On Bear Attacks and Media:
  “The media rarely mentions subsidies... Angry shepherds throwing sheep’s blood is a better story than people just quietly working out ways of sharing their landscape with wild animals.”
  – Narrator, [16:19]

• On Generational Attitude:
  “For me, bears are a part of the mountains. I can’t imagine mountains without bears.”
  – Amandine, [27:48]

• On Symbolism in Festivals:
  “Order versus disorder, humans versus bears. This old festival reflects some old binaries. On the other hand... it does show a cultural baseline for bears exists here.”
  – Narrator, [22:16]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:57] – The bear’s extinction and reintroduction in the Pyrenees
• [03:29] – Paleolithic culture and ancestral relationship to bears
• [04:39] – Farmer resistance and the culture war
• [08:54] – Livestock attacks and historical sources of opposition
• [12:10] – A shepherd’s view: grief, protection, compensation mechanisms
• [14:43] – Alain Rennes: State and EU subsidies, the real impact on livelihoods
• [15:29] – Do more bears mean more attacks? Analysis of recent data
• [17:31] – Bear numbers vs. genetic diversity: Pyros and the inbreeding problem
• [18:19] – Politics stalls further reintroduction; the genetic bottleneck
• [20:02] – The Bear Festival: Tradition, symbolism, and shifting identities
• [27:39] – Younger generation perspective: Bears as an integral part of the landscape
• [28:14] – The success of Cantabrian bears: cultural baselines and tolerance

Conclusion

This episode skillfully threads the story of the brown bear’s return through complex ecological, cultural, and political terrain. The Pyrenean bear saga exposes both the promise and the pitfalls of Europe’s rewilding vision—where genuine ecological success is precariously balanced against generational memory, rural livelihoods, and the ever-shifting winds of regional and continental politics. While the future for bears in the Pyrenees hangs in the balance, there are tentative signs of hope—especially among younger generations and in regions like Cantabria, where coexistence has become embedded in local story and identity.