Merijn van den Bosch Merijn van den Bosch Marta De Barba Marta De Barba Andreas Zedrosser Andreas Zedrosser Nuria Selva Nuria Selva Niko Balkenhol Niko Balkenhol Luigi Maiorano Luigi Maiorano Julien Renaud Julien Renaud Gregor Simcic Gregor Simcic Ainhoa Graciarena Ainhoa Graciarena Shane C. Frank Shane C. Frank Anne G. Hertel Anne G. Hertel Aida Parres Aida Parres Hüseyin Ambarlı Hüseyin Ambarlı Andriy‐Taras Bashta Andriy‐Taras Bashta Natalia Bragalanti Natalia Bragalanti Henrik Brøseth Henrik Brøseth Mark Chynoweth Mark Chynoweth Duško Ćirović Duško Ćirović Paolo Ciucci Paolo Ciucci Csaba Domokos Csaba Domokos Aleksandar Dutsov Aleksandar Dutsov Alper Ertürk Alper Ertürk Ancuta Fedorca Ancuta Fedorca Mihai Fedorca Mihai Fedorca Stefano Filacorda Stefano Filacorda Slavomir Finďo Slavomir Finďo Luca Fumagalli Luca Fumagalli Miguel de Gabriel Hernando Miguel de Gabriel Hernando Claudio Groff Claudio Groff Snorre B. Hagen Snorre B. Hagen Bledi Hoxha Bledi Hoxha Djuro Huber Djuro Huber Otso Huitu Otso Huitu Georgeta Ionescu Georgeta Ionescu Ovidiu Ionescu Ovidiu Ionescu Klemen Jerina Klemen Jerina Alexandros A. Karamanlidis Alexandros A. Karamanlidis Jonas Kindberg Jonas Kindberg Ilpo Kojola Ilpo Kojola Alexander Kopatz Alexander Kopatz Diana Krajmerová Diana Krajmerová José Vicente López‐Bao José Vicente López‐Bao Peep Männil Peep Männil Yorgos Mertzanis Yorgos Mertzanis Anja Molinari‐Jobin Anja Molinari‐Jobin Paolo Molinari Paolo Molinari Andrea Mustoni Andrea Mustoni Javier Naves Javier Naves Sergey Ogurtsov Sergey Ogurtsov Deniz Özüt Deniz Özüt Santiago Palazon Santiago Palazon Jasmin Pasic Jasmin Pasic Ladislav Paule Ladislav Paule Milan Paunović Milan Paunović Aleksandar Perovic Aleksandar Perovic Stefano Pesaro Stefano Pesaro Vladimir Piminov Vladimir Piminov Mihai I. Pop Mihai I. Pop Maria Psaralexi Maria Psaralexi Pierre Yves Quenette Pierre Yves Quenette Georg Rauer Georg Rauer Slaven Reljic Slaven Reljic Eloy Revilla Eloy Revilla Urmas Saarma Urmas Saarma Alexander Saveljev Alexander Saveljev Ali Onur Sayar Ali Onur Sayar Cagan Sekercioglu Cagan Sekercioglu Agnieszka Sergiel Agnieszka Sergiel Tomaz Skrbinsek Tomaz Skrbinsek Michaela Skuban Michaela Skuban Anil Soyumert Anil Soyumert Aleksandar Stojanov Aleksandar Stojanov Konstantin Tirronen Konstantin Tirronen Aleksandër Trajçe Aleksandër Trajçe Igor Trbojević Igor Trbojević Tijana Trbojević Tijana Trbojević Filip Zięba Filip Zięba Diana Zlatanova Diana Zlatanova Tomasz Zwijacz‐Kozica Tomasz Zwijacz‐Kozica Jerrold L. Belant Jerrold L. Belant Wiley 2026 Aim Large carnivores worldwide have experienced substantial range contractions due to human activities, though several species are recolonising parts of their historical range. We aimed to assess current and potential European brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos) habitat as well as habitat connectivity on a continental scale. Location The extended biogeographical regions of Europe, spanning from Portugal to central Russia, longitudinally, and from Norway to Türkiye, latitudinally. Excluding inland seas; this area covers 11,151,636 km2. Methods We assessed habitat suitability throughout the study area using an ensemble species distribution model with nine submodels, using data from 10 European bear populations and Türkiye. We used the resulting habitat suitability maps to conduct a least-cost path connectivity analysis and an omnidirectional circuit connectivity analysis. Main Conclusions Habitat suitability was strongly associated with low percentages of agricultural cover, low percentages of human development, and proximity to forest. Of our entire study area, 37% (4.09 million km2) is occupied or potentially suitable for bears. Connectivity analyses identified corridors that could facilitate movement among southern European bear populations, though agricultural land and human development limit connectivity between northern and southern European bear populations. Previous research estimated bears occupied 0.5 million km2 across the European Union, while our results estimate 1.82 million km2 of this part of our study area is potentially suitable for bears, though connectivity is limited. Our results inform conservation strategies and policy development for the future of brown bears in Europe, emphasising the need for transboundary conservation efforts. PDFDocument eng 2026-07-07T10:06:59.528670010Z 2026 Habitat Connectivity Habitat Suitability Large Carnivore Recolonisation Species Distribution Model Ursus Arctos 15286570 b application/pdf http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/