The Brown Bear

The Brown Bear can be found in the most easterly regions of Galicia in the province of Lugo, specifically in the Serra dos Ancares, and occasionally in other adjacent areas, such as the Serra De Caurel and Negueira de Muñiz. The bear population in Galicia is part of the western Cantabrian sub-population, estimated at around 110 specimens. The bears populating the Lugo region of Los Ancares, can equally be found in the Sierra de Ancares in León, and to a lesser extent in the bordering areas of Asturias, which makes up a geographically distinct sub-population from the rest of the bear population, connected by a slender, natural corridor. The ‘Plan de Recuperación del Oso Pardo de Galicia' (lit. Galicia’s Recovery Plan for the Brown Bear), approved by Decree in 1992, delimits the zone protecting the Brown Bear to the highest areas of the Ancares, and covers a surface area of 12,047 Ha. The area is considered a quality habitat to efficiently conserve a small population of bears.