DivjaLabs

15/04/2026

Vas zanimajo rezultati genetskega štetja medvedov v Sloveniji? 🐻

Jutri bo naš direktor Tomaž Skrbinšek na povabilo Društva Dinaricum o tem predaval na Oddelku za biologijo Biotehniške fakultete (Večna pot 111), v predavalnici B1 ob 17:00 uri.

Vstop je prost, lepo vabljeni!

Oddelek za biologijo BF UL, Biotehniška fakulteta

🐻 Predavanje: Monitoring medveda 2023

📅 Četrtek, 16. april
🕔 Ob 17:00
📍 Predavalnica B1, Biotehniška fakulteta – Oddelek za biologijo
(Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana)

O predavanju:
Na predavanju bo doc. dr. Tomaž Skrbinšek predstavil metodologijo in ključne rezultate monitoringa medveda v letu 2023.

V nadaljevanju bo Petra Muhič Šmuc, članica društva Dinaricum, predstavila doprinos društva k projektu Monitoring medveda 2023 ter njegovo vlogo pri zbiranju podatkov in raziskovanju te karizmatične vrste.

Vljudno vabljeni!!!

24/03/2026

Carnivore Conservation Compendium, thank you for including Slovenia's brown bear monitoring and management case in your latest Carnivore News Digest!

Here is this week's edition of the Carnivore News Digest (see link below). On this World Bear Day (March 23rd), it's worth noting six of the twenty-one articles in this edition of the Carnivore News Digest are about bears - black, brown and grizzly.

The twenty-one articles herein include news about the African wild dog, beech marten, black-footed ferret, brown bear, brown hyena, caracal, cheetah, fishing cat, gray wolf, grizzly bear, Mexican wolf, mountain lion, ocelot, polar bear, red fox, tiger and wolverine.

https://mailchi.mp/carnivoreconservationcompendium/weekly-carnivore-news-digest-march-16-through-march-22-2026

And as always, a reminder that if you haven't done so already I'd encourage you to sign up to receive this weekly News Digest in your email inbox. That way you won’t potentially miss our weekly New Digest post here on Facebook. Sign up for the weekly email at the bottom of our homepage:

https://carnivoreconservationcompendium.org/

Enjoy this week's edition of the Carnivore New Digest.

19/03/2026

🐻🔍Our CEO and principal researcher Tomaž Skrbinšek was asked to record a guest lecture he delivered last year at the Purdue University for those that have missed it.

In this presentation, Tomaž dives into two decades of genetic monitoring of brown bears in Slovenia. He explores how combining citizen science with cutting-edge genetics provides the essential data needed for effective brown bear conservation and management.

Recorded from the comfort of his office, this is a must-watch for anyone interested in wildlife genetics, coexistence, and large carnivore management.

📺 Watch the full lecture here:

Two Decades of Genetic Monitoring of Brown Bears in Slovenia | Tomaž SkrbinšekGenetic monitoring is rapidly becoming an essential tool for tracking wildlife ...

18/03/2026

The Results are In: Slovenia’s 2023 Brown Bear Genetic Monitoring Report is Now Public 🐻🇸🇮

The Slovenian Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning (Ministrstvo za naravne vire in prostor) has officially released the much-anticipated results of the 2023 brown bear genetic monitoring.

At , we believe that data is the bridge between conflict and coexistence. This report provides a critical, science-driven snapshot of the current bear population, offering the evidence-based foundation needed for responsible management and conservation in the region.

What does the latest data tell us? In our latest blog post, we break down the key findings from the report, exploring:

✅ The current population estimates and trends.
✅ Why genetic monitoring is the "gold standard" for tracking large carnivores.
✅ How these insights shape the future of science-driven coexistence.

Understanding the numbers is the first step toward ensuring a sustainable future for both local communities and wildlife.

The brown bear monitoring project was coordinated by Slovenia Forest Service (Zavod za gozdove Slovenije) and commissioned by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning.

🔗 Read our full analysis and the final report here: https://divjalabs.com/science-driven-coexistence-results-from-the-2023-slovenian-brown-bear-genetic-monitoring/

16/03/2026

🌍 As golden jackals continue their rapid expansion across Europe, what happens when they encounter historically isolated populations?

We are thrilled to share a new collaborative study published in Mammal Research, co-authored by our team at ! The research explores genetic dynamics of the European golden jackal, mapping the contact zone between the widespread, expanding Pannonian population and the historically isolated Dalmatian population on the Adriatic coast.

🧬 Key Findings: By analyzing new genetic profiles from Croatia, Italy, Austria, and Greece, the study reveals that while Pannonian jackals are driving the species' broader European expansion, the Dalmatian population remains distinct with a much more restricted distribution. However, we did find evidence of sporadic, long-distance gene flow, confirming that a contact zone between the two populations currently stretches from the Croatian island of Dugi Otok all the way to eastern Italy!

🌿 Real-World Solutions: Why does this genetic mapping matter? Understanding a species' spatial genetic structure and uncovering potential dispersal barriers provides an essential baseline for local and broad-scale conservation planning. By applying advanced molecular ecology, we are providing wildlife managers with the science-based data they need to support healthy ecosystems and manage expanding populations effectively.

📖 Read more about the study and what it means on our blog: https://divjalabs.com/expanding-or-staying-distinct-new-genetic-insights-into-europes-golden-jackals/

📄 Or dive straight into the full open-access scientific paper here: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-026-00853-1



📷 Miha Krofel
Astrid Vik Stronen, Meta Konec, Barbara Boljte, Tomaž Skrbinšek

03/03/2026

🌍 Today is the United Nations World Wildlife Day!

Effective wildlife conservation depends on one thing: reliable data.
Across Europe, large carnivore populations move beyond borders. Without harmonised monitoring methods, population estimates are difficult to compare, management decisions become fragmented, and trust in the results weakens.

To address this, we contributed to the development of a practical, science-based handbook for coordinated monitoring in the Dinaric-Balkan-Pindos region.

📘 Practical Support: Handbook for Monitoring Large Carnivores in the Dinaric-Balkan-Pindos Region

🔗 https://environment.ec.europa.eu/news/practical-support-handbook-monitoring-large-carnivores-dinaric-balkan-pindos-region-2025-06-18_en

On World Wildlife Day, we highlight the importance of clear methodology, cross-border cooperation, and robust population data — because good conservation starts with good monitoring.

12/02/2026

Na čezmejni delavnici za deležnike smo predstavili preliminarne rezultate prve sistematične raziskave biodiverzitete severnega Jadrana s pomočjo okoljske DNA (eDNA). 🌊🧬
Raziskava razkriva, kako lahko sodobne genetske metode podprejo učinkovitejše spremljanje in varstvo morskih ekosistemov.
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At the transboundary stakeholder workshop, we presented the preliminary results of the first systematic study of biodiversity in the Northern Adriatic using environmental DNA (eDNA). 🌊🧬
The study highlights how advanced genetic tools can support more effective monitoring and protection of marine ecosystems.

11/02/2026

🔬 Today is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

According to European Commission data in EU:
• Women account for nearly 48% of doctoral graduates 🎓
• Around one-third of researchers in the EU are women 📊
• Fewer than 25% of top academic positions are held by women

👍 The early-career pipeline is relatively balanced.
👎 Leadership representation is not.

This matters because research quality benefits from diverse perspectives — also in fields like biodiversity monitoring and environmental management 🌿, where science directly informs policy and long-term sustainability decisions.

At :
• 80% of our team members are women
• 62.5% of our female colleagues hold PhDs
• 83% of our founders are women

We are aware that these numbers are not the norm across Europe.
They reflect the people who built this company and continue to lead its scientific work.

Today, we acknowledge the contribution of in science — in our team and across Europe — and the importance of continuing to create space for equal participation at every level.

26/01/2026

📣 Naši projektni partnerji širijo ekipo!

Iščejo novega sodelavca ali sodelavko, ki bi se pridružil/-a njihovemu timu. Če te zanima delo na zanimivih vsebinah in projektih s področja varstva narave in sobivanja z velikimi zvermi, je to odlična priložnost. 🐻🌿

⏳ Prijave so odprte le še nekaj dni, zato ne odlašaj!

Več informacij in prijava 👉 ⬇

PRILOŽNOST ZA ZAPOSLITEV – LIFE DINPIN BEAR 🐻

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Te zanima delo v projektni skupini, ki se ukvarja z velikimi zvermi, hkrati pa te veseli analiza podatkov in terensko delo? Zdaj je priložnost, da svoje zanimanje združiš z ekipo novega projekta LIFE DINPIN BEAR!

💻Iščemo sodelavca, ki ima znanja iz QGIS in R, za podporo pri reševanju tehničnih in s podatki povezanih izzivov.

Delovno mesto je razpisano do 30. aprila 2027 (z možnostjo podaljšanja)
📅Rok za prijavo: 29. januar 2026
📞Več informacij: 01 470 00 73
Prijave: [email protected]

Več informacij: https://www.zgs.si/informacije/zaposlitev/

Opis poglavitnih nalog: Analiza podatkov, prostorske analize povezljivosti habitata, priprava poročil za populacijo medvedov od Slovenije do Grčije!

30/12/2025

🌍 Plenty of habitat, but limited connectivity for brown bears in Europe 🐻

A newly published Europe-wide study reveals a striking paradox: while large areas of the continent are still suitable for brown bears, human-dominated landscapes increasingly limit the connections that bears need to move, disperse, and stay genetically healthy.

The research shows that around 37% of Europe could support brown bears, yet agricultural land use, infrastructure, and development often break this habitat into isolated patches—especially between northern and southern Europe. For wide-ranging species like bears, habitat alone is not enough; connectivity is key.

We are proud that DivjaLabs team members Marta De Barba, Tomaž Skrbinšek, and Gregor Simčič contributed to this international effort. Marta De Barba also coordinated the initiative, which made it possible to integrate large-scale brown bear data across Europe.

🧭 The study provides an important baseline for conservation planning—highlighting where natural recolonisation may still be possible, where connectivity needs to be restored, and where coexistence with humans will be most critical in the future.

👉 Read the full story on our website:
https://divjalabs.com/plenty-of-habitat-but-limited-connectivity-for-brown-bears-in-europe/
👉Access original scientific paper here: https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.70130

22/12/2025

Lepo vabljeni!

Na dogodku, ki ga organizira Biotehniška fakulteta, bo predaval dr. Tomaž Skrbinšek, soustanovitelj .

Predstavil bo neinvazivno genetsko vzorčenje in eDNA kot sodobni orodji za spremljanje prostoživečih živali, pridobivanje zanesljivih podatkov ter podporo varstvu narave – brez motenja živali.

Želiš pomagati znanosti pri varovanju narave?

Z zbiranjem podatkov o prostoživečih živalih lahko narediš resnično razliko.
Na Biotehniški fakulteti pripravljamo sklop predavanj, kjer se naučiš ključnih veščin sodobnega monitoringa prostoživečih vrst – od fotomonitoringa do neinvazivnega genetskega vzorčenja in akustičnega monitoringa.

Po koncu prejmeš uradno potrdilo (mikrodokazilo), ki ti odpre vrata do sodelovanja v projektih državljanske znanosti.


Na predavanjih se boš naučil:
• uporabljati spletne in mobilne aplikacije za spremljanje vrst
• metod fotomonitoringa in vključevanja podatkov v populacijske študije
• osnov neinvazivnega genetskega vzorčenja in okoljske DNA
• pravilnega zbiranja bioloških vzorcev
• osnov akustičnega monitoringa in prepoznavanja znakov prisotnosti vrst

📅 22. 12. 2025 ob 16.00
📍 Velika predavalnica, Oddelek za biologijo, BF (Večna pot 111)
✉ Prijave: [email protected]


Pridruži se in pomagaj soustvarjati podatke, ki jih naravovarstvo najbolj potrebuje.

19/12/2025

🍪 Using honey to sweeten your holiday cookies? 🎄

Did you know that a single honey sample can contain DNA from dozens of different plant species visited by bees? DNA metabarcoding studies have revealed 30–60+ plant taxa within honey, reflecting the diverse floral landscape bees forage on.

Traditionally, honey is labelled based on the dominant pollen type but with DNA metabarcoding, we go further:
🧬 We decipher the full spectrum of plant and insect DNA preserved in the honey, revealing not just the main floral sources, but the richness of interactions between bees and their environment. DNA methods allow us to see beyond what’s visible under a microscope and uncover detailed insights into foraging behaviour and biodiversity.

In this video, we demonstrate a simple honey sampling protocol using sterile, DNA-free tools.

Wishing you happy and sweet holidays from all of us at ! 🐝🍯🌿