The number of brown bears in the French Pyrenees mountains is increasing, but as the population bounces back there are also concerns about their deadly encounters with livestock in the region. The French Biodiversity Agency (OFB), through its Brown Bear Network, estimates a population of 83 bears in 2023, based on sightings and other evidence. In the previous year there were believed to be between 74 and 76 bears, the network reported on Tuesday, while 16 bear cubs were born in 2023. Back 1995, the bear population in the mountains on the border with Spain had nearly disappeared. Since then, th…