Since 1990s the French government has operated a program to restore the population of brown bears in the Pyrenees, a mountain range forming a natural border between France and Spain. So far 11 bears caught in Slovenia have been released.

In the Pyrenees, sheep and cows grazing has been a fundamental activity over thousands of years. As the bear population restored, how to protect the flocks from bear attacks becomes important. Despite of the various support system by the French government, many livestock farmers protest against the bear population restoration program and this has been a very sensitive issue in the region.

NPO Pays de l'Ours - Adet, of which the director is Alain Reynes, has been lobbying for the favor of bears, as well as delivering numerous public awareness activities so that people understand the value of having bears back in the Pyrenees in terms of biodiversity.