In January 2026, a European-level study on brown bear habitat suitability was published in the journal Diversity and Distributions. Milvus Group has also contributed to the study with telemetry and genetic data. 

The study found that Europe still contains vast areas of suitable habitat for brown bears—about 4 million km², far more than currently occupied—but connectivity between these areas is highly uneven. While southern and central European populations could be linked through several viable corridors, northern and southern populations remain largely isolated due to intensive agriculture and human development.

Future bear recovery depends on transboundary conservation and improved landscape connectivity, especially in regions where suitable habitat exists but is fragmented.

You can find the study here.