Path of the Bear

In a world from the ancient past, wild brown bears have coexisted with humans for 6000 years in the rugged mountains of Italy just two hours from Rome. Living a secret life between villages and wilderness, their future lies at an intersection in an increasingly busy world. In this short film, bear expert Chris Morgan (PBS Nature, BEARTREK, ‘THE WILD with Chris Morgan’) travels to this magical place to meet those dedicated to the future of the Marsican brown bear, to discover how, against the odds, they still survive here. In and around Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, just sixty of them remain in one of the rarest brown bear populations on earth. Chris’s journey begins at the Colosseum in Rome, part of the bear’s history, as 2000 years ago, bears fought here with gladiators. Chris reflects on how the Abruzzo bears survived and continues into bear country to meet locals, park rangers and conservationists who have followed the ‘Path of the Bear’. We meet ‘Amarena’ , a mother bear often seen in the local villages. Her family is at risk unless more wild space can be protected for all of Abruzzo’s bears. The secret to their future will be connecting, not just with habitat beyond the boundaries of the park, but with the hearts and minds of local people whose future is intertwined with the bear’s. In a time of fast moving change, we learn from this place and its bears about community, belonging and our relationship with nature.