Christine Sonvilla

Christine Sonvilla @christinesonvilla - Bears and humans - living side by side⁠ Wildlife and Nature 2019 Finalist⁠ @LuganoPhotoDays 2019⁠ •⁠ Roughly 750 to 950 brown bears live in Slovenia, most of them in the southern parts of the country on an area about the size of the Canton of Valais. Therefore, Slovenia holds one of the densest populations of brown bears worldwide. Humans and bears get close in Slovenia and most time they manage to get along fairly well. I spent a lot of time visualizing this relationship, showing how there is appreciation from people, how bears – which can often be found as wood carvings – belong to every day life, showing that bears can be spotted close to villages or even stroll through villages and also showing that bears are hunted or shot as problem bears. Why I consider this important? Bear populations in southern Slovenia and neighbouring Trentino have been growing over the past years and are spreading farther north into alpine regions, where acceptance for bears is still very low. I consider sound information spreading crucial for helping bears on their way back into the Alps.⁠ •⁠ Click link ⁠in bio for details.⁠ •⁠ •⁠ #luganophotodays #photocontest #luganoaward #wildlife #nature #wildlifephotography #photooftheday