European Brown Bear Expert Team Co-Chair

Vincenzo’s lifelong connection with bears began in the early 1980s, when he participated in brown bear research projects in the Apennines (central Italy). At that time, however, working with such a charismatic species was almost unattainable for a young researcher in Italy. Later, after moving to Spain and becoming a tenured scientist at the CSIC (Spanish National Research Council), he relocated to Asturias, in northwestern Spain, with the goal of establishing a research group dedicated to the long-term study of the small, isolated, and endangered brown bear population of the Cantabrian Mountains. There, he founded the Cantabrian Brown Bear and Otter Research Group (CBORG; www.cantabrianbrownbear.org), bringing together researchers from CSIC and the University of León, as well as master’s students and pre- and postdoctoral fellows. One of his strongest commitments is the training of young researchers, and he actively supports the development of their scientific careers. Working with bears is often complex, as conflicts among people can overshadow human–wildlife conflicts themselves. For this reason, alongside his passion for carnivore ecology and behaviour, he has consistently emphasised to his students the importance of intellectual honesty and scientific integrity. This perspective is also reflected in the book he recently edited, Bears of the World (Cambridge University Press, 2021), a large collaborative effort involving nearly 200 authors, illustrating his strong belief in teamwork and collective knowledge. In addition, he has developed a research-, conservation-, and outreach-oriented Twitter/X account with approximately 2,800 followers (https://twitter.com/CantabrianBear). He also enjoys editorial work and currently serves as Senior Editor of Animal Conservation and Associate Editor of Ursus.