“The recovery of the Cantabrian brown bear is now a reality supported by data, but it is also a reminder that effective conservation is only possible when it is underpinned by scientific knowledge. Understanding population dynamics, habitat use and interactions with human activities is essential for designing strategies adapted to a constantly changing context. Without science, conservation efforts move forward with too much uncertainty. With it, we invest in the capacity to anticipate problems and guide solutions.”

This is how we begin the editorial of the special supplement published with the July issue of Quercus, the emblematic magazine dedicated to the observation, study and defence of nature.

The supplement brings together a range of studies on the effects of climate change on the brown bear’s food resources, the evolution of public perceptions of the species, and the contribution of the brown bear to rural development and the rural economy. It also presents the tools developed within the LIFE Human Bear Coex project to address the new scenarios of human-bear coexistence.