Illegal killing of a bear (named Rožnik) well-known to the Slovenian public received nation-wide media coverage in Slovenia and Austria. Without our genetic analyses the case would not have been solved as there is no other way to link a body of a killed bear found in the wild with the concrete bear that left Slovenia and migrated to Austria. Genetic monitoring is increasingly being applied as a management tool in Slovenia. Regular cyclical monitoring by non-invasive genetic sampling is implemented as part of the Brown Bear Action Plan; a similar collaborative investigation is being planned with Croatia for the year 2013.
F.27 Contribution to preserving/protecting natural and cultural heritage