📅 Date: April 15, 2025
⏰ Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
📍 Venue: Sloupový sál, Studijní centrum, Státní hrad a zámek Český Krumlov – CZECH REPUBLIC.
🅿️ Parking: Parking P4
Conference on Bears in Captivity: Modern Ways of Bear Management will provide experts, zoologists, researchers, and the wider public with essential insights into the current state and modern trends in the management of captive bears. The conference is organized within the framework of the ‘BEAR HOPE’ project. The principal organizer is the National Heritage Institute (CZ), with co-organizers Stiftung für Bären (DE) and Bears in Mind (NL), two internationally recognized institutions in the field of bear welfare and conservation.
The conference will address key topics, including standards and modern practices in bear management, captive bear welfare and health, as well as the cultural and historical significance of bear keeping in Český Krumlov. Renowned experts from the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and Canada will share their research findings and professional experience.
The program will feature specialist presentations and moderated discussions led by Dr. Alistair Bath, an emeritus professor and a distinguished authority on the social dimensions of wildlife conservation. The primary objective of the conference and its discussions is to understand and address issues related to the bear keeping in castle moats in the Czech Republic. Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of the ‘BEAR HOPE’ project and the ongoing initiatives of Stiftung für Bären and Bears in Mind, two organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of welfare standards for captive bears. This conference represents a unique platform for professionals and stakeholders to engage in informed dialogue and contribute to shaping the future of bear management outside their natural habitat.
CONFERENCE PROGRAM:
| 8:00 – 8:45 | Conference registration | ||
| 9:00 – 9:10 | Welcome to the conference | Ing. Oldřich Pešek, Deputy Director, National Heritage Institute (CZ) | |
| 9:10 – 9:20 | Welcome to the conference | Mgr. Petr Pavelec, Ph.D., Director, ÚPS České Budějovice, National Heritage Institute (CZ) | |
| 9:20 – 9:30 | Welcome to the conference | Ingrid Vermeulen, Director, Bears in Mind (NL); Bernd Nonnenmacher, Executive Director, Stiftung für Bären (DE) | |
| 9:30 – 9:40 | Context how we will work together today | Dr. Alistair Bath, PhD, Retired Professor, Memorial University of Newfoundland (CA); President at ‘Bath and Associates’, Human Dimensions Consulting (CA) | 0 |
| 9:40 – 9:55 | Bears at the Český Krumlov Castle as cultural heritage | Mgr. Petr Pavelec, Ph.D., Director, ÚPS České Budějovice, National Heritage Institute (CZ) | 1 |
| 10:00 – 10:15 | Bear-keeping standards in the Czech Republic | PhDr. Pavel Slavko, Castellan of the Český Krumlov Castle (CZ) | 2 |
| 10:20 – 10:45 | Behaviour and welfare of captive bears | Dr. hab. Agnieszka Sergiel, Professor at Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences.(PL) | 3 |
| 10:50 – 11:10 | Coffee break | ||
| 11:10 – 11:25 | Bear moat at Točník Castle: Current Concept and Practice | PhDr. Markéta Zemánková, Managing Director of the NUDLE Association (CZ) | 4 |
| 11:30 – 11:55 | Health and specific health issues in captive bears | Dr. Med. Vet. Klaus G. Friedrich, Veterinary Clinic for Minimal Invasive Surgery and Diagnostic (IT) | 5 |
| 12:00 – 13:30 | Lunch break | ||
| 13:30 – 13:45 | The contemporary approach and practice of bear-keeping at Český Krumlov Castle | PhDr. Pavel Slavko, Castellan of the Český Krumlov Castle (CZ) | 6 |
| 13:50 – 14:05 | Project ‘BEAR HOPE’ | MSc. Eva Filipczykova, Ing., PhD Candidate, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZ) | 7 |
| 14:10 – 14:25 | Bear-keeping in Český Krumlov from the viewpoint of local communities | Alexandr Nogrády, Mayor of Český Krumlov Town (CZ) | 8 |
| 14:30 – 14:45 | Public opinion on Czech castle ‘Bearariums’ | BSc. Žaneta Křišťanová, MSc. Student, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZ) | 9 |
| 14:50 – 15:05 | Coffee break | ||
| 15:05 – 15:25 | Introduction of Foundation for Bears and their work & Management and keeping of wild bears | Bernd Nonnenmacher, Executive Director, Stiftung für Bären (DE) | 10 |
| 15:30 – 15:45 | Introduction of Bears in Mind and their work | Ingrid Vermeulen, Director, Bears in Mind (NL) | 11 |
| 15:50 – 16:00 | Closing remarks | Dr. Alistair Bath, PhD, Retired Professor, Memorial University of Newfoundland (CA); President at ‘Bath and Associates’, Human Dimensions Consulting (CA) |