Exploring 15 years of brown bear (Ursus arctos)-vehicle collisions in northwestern Greece

Road networks provide several benefits to human societies; however, they are also one of the major drivers fragmentation and habitat degradation. Their negative effects include wildlife-vehicle collisions which associated with increased barrier effects, restricted gene flow, local extinction risk. Large carnivores, such as brown bear ( Ursus arctos ), vulnerable road mortality while put safety at risk in every collision. We recorded approximately 100 bear-vehicle during last 15 years (2005–2020) northwestern Greece identified common aspects for collisions, i.e., spatial, or temporal segregation collision events, features, age sex involved animals. both core distribution area bears, well periphery, where few individuals, mostly males, disperse. According our findings, there four hotspots ca. 60% total collisions. Bear-vehicle occurred periods animal mobility, under poor light conditions low visibility. In most cases, we deem that a was unavoidable time detection, because driver could not have reacted avoid it. Appropriate fencing, combination retention safe passages animals, can minimize Therefore, mitigation measures, wildlife warning signs other prevention systems, detection should be adopted decrease number improve safety.