| |
Reports and Scientific Papers
Rachel L. Mazur, Division of Natural Resources, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks: Aversive conditioning (AC) has the potential to temporarily reduce conflicts between humans and black bears (Ursus americanus)and AC was successful in keeping bears that were not food-conditioned from becoming food-conditioned.
Dr. Lynn Rogers: Diversionary feeding of black bears (Ursus americanus) around campgrounds and residential areas has received little study because of concerns it might create nuisance bears and jeopardize public safety. To evaluate those concerns and assess its effectiveness in mitigating human-bear conflict, we studied diversionary feeding at a U. S. Forest Service campground/residential complex that had been a perennial focus of human-bear conflict.
(edited) Debbie Wellwood, Helen Davis, Mary Ellen Grant : Between April 25 and 27, 2002 the Kamloops Wildlife Park Society hosted a workshop “Educating people about community-based human-bear conflict: ecology, behaviour and prevention”. The workshop was held at the Kamloops Wildlife Park. Participants at the workshop had expertise in one or more of the following areas: bear biology and ecology, bear management, human-bear conflicts, bear awareness education, youth education and adult education. The goal of the workshop was to produce a workshop proceedings that, with input from participants following the workshop, would be used as a reference for the development of a bear awareness educator’s handbook.
Crystal McMillan: This research project aimed to identify why communities struggle to meet the "Bear Smart" standards and to provide recommendations on how the managing agency can more effectively implement the program.
Jennifer Leigh: We used rubber buckshot and dogs to test the effectiveness of management techniques used by the state to deter nuisance activity by black bears. Results suggest that aversive conditioning techniques used to deter bears from nuisance activity have limited short term effectiveness.
Lynn L. Rogers - Wildlife Monographs: Black bears (Ursus americanus) were studied in northeastern Minnesota from 1969 through 1985 to determine (1) the annual cycle of foraging and social behavior, (2) changes in mother-offspring relationships from birth through maturity, (3) the influence of food availability on social behavior, movements, and population growth, and (4) important habitat components. Studies were most intensive during 1971-76 when 28 males and 55 females were radio-tracked. The study area had relatively few fruit and mast species and a frost-free growing season of only 118 days. Crop failures were common and reduced the reproductive rate to less than half the biological potential. Females first reproduced at 4-8 years of age (average 6.3 years), depending upon food supply, and produced subsequent litters at 2-4-year intervals (average 2.28 years). Litters averaged 2.38 cubs. Cub survival was 59-88%, depending on food supply in the year of conception and the year of birth. Bears that supplemented their diets with garbage reproduced nearly twice as fast as the above. Density was 1 bear/4.1-6.3 km2, including cubs.
Sterling D. Miller et al, Ursus 14(2):130–152 (2003): We present data from 4 studies of radiomarked brown bears (Ursus arctos) in Alaska to evaluate the effects of hunting and differential removal of males on cub survival and litter size. In the Susitna area in southcentral Alaska, the proportion of males declined during a period of increasing hunting pressure (1980-96).
Sophie M. Czetwertynski, Mark S. Boyce, and Fiona K. Schmiegelow, Ursus 18(1):1–18 (2007): What's interesting about this report is that unlike what one might expect would happen if adult bears are removed through hunting or destruction, researchers didn't document subadult males moving in to the vacant habitat niches. Also, the reproductive rate of females was less in the unhunted area - they had fewer cubs and had their first litters later in life; and fewer cubs survived.
Lynn L. Rogers - Wildlife Society Bulletin 14:76-80,1986: A frequent question of black bear (Ursus americanus) managers is how far nuisance bears must be moved to minimize chances of their return. To address this question, I summarized translocation and movement data for 179 black bears >2 years old from researchers in 11 states and provinces (Table 1). These bears were drugged for ear-tagging and were typically unconscious while being transported. Locations of kills provided most of the movement data, but in a few cases end points were determined by recapture or telemetry. Bears were considered to have returned if they were found within 8-20 km of the capture site, de-pending upon the criterion for homing used by the individual researchers; home ranges differ with sex and region (Amstrup and Beecham 1976). Data sets in Table 1 are those with sufficient age data to exclude bears <2 years old, which return home less frequently than older bears (Barnes and Bray 1967, Harger 1970, Alt et al. 1977). Sex ratios varied from 27:1 (M:F) in New Hampshire (Orff 1982) to 3:17 in Oregon (McCollum 1974). The overall sex ratio was about 109:70. The frequency of returning was calculated as the percentage of the bears for which movement data were available, i.e., bears with unknown fates were excluded.
Tom Smith et al., The Journal of Wildlife Management 72(3): This is a comprehensive look at bear spray incidents that occurred in Alaska, USA, from 1985 to 2006. The authors analyzed 83 bear spray incidents involving brown bears (Ursus arctos; 61 cases, 74%), black bears (Ursus americanus; 20 cases, 24%), and polar bears (Ursus maritimus; 2 cases, 2%). Of the 72 cases where persons sprayed bears to defend themselves, red pepper spray stopped bears’ undesirable behavior 92% of the time when used on brown bears, 90% for black bears, and 100% for polar bears. Bear spray represents an effective alternative to lethal force and should be considered as an option for personal safety for those recreating and working in bear country. (JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 72(3):640–645; 2008)
Smith et al.: We present a comprehensive look at a sample of bear spray incidents that occurred in Alaska, USA, from 1985 to 2006. We analyzed 83 bear spray incidents involving brown bears (Ursus arctos; 61 cases, 74%), black bears (Ursus americanus; 20 cases, 24%), and polar bears (Ursus maritimus; 2 cases, 2%). Of the 72 cases where persons sprayed bears to defend themselves, 50 (69%) involved brown bears, 20 (28%) black bears, and 2 (3%) polar bears. Red pepper spray stopped bears' undesirable behavior 92% of the time when used on brown bears, 90% for black bears, and 100% for polar bears. Of all persons carrying sprays, 98% were uninjured by bears in close-range encounters. All bear inflicted injuries (n¼3) associated with defensive spraying involved brown bears and were relatively minor (i.e., no hospitalization required). In 7% (5 of 71) of bear spray incidents, wind was reported to have interfered with spray accuracy, although it reached the bear in all cases. In 14% (10 of 71) of bear spray incidents, users reported the spray having had negative side effects upon themselves, ranging from minor irritation (11%, 8 of 71) to near incapacitation (3%, 2 of 71). Bear spray represents an effective alternative to lethal force and should be considered as an option for personal safety for those recreating and working in bear country.
The Sustainable Cities Programme (SCP): This publication tries to explain how key stakeholders are identified and sensitised. It further tries explaining that key stakeholders are those who seriously affected by the issue, those whose capital, expertise and information is crucial to resolving the issue, and those who possess relevant policy and implementation instruments.
Joshua D. Agee, Craig A. Miller - Human Dimensions of Wildlife: As black bear populations increase throughout their range wildlife management agencies will by necessity need to become more aware of public understanding of management strategies available for dealing with bears in urban centers. Further research is needed for wildlife managers to better understand public acceptance of management practices, especially in specific situations. Given expansion of black bear populations into the urban-wild interface, such understanding is paramount to better manage black bears.
W. F. Siemer et al. - Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 14:185–197, 2009: Problematic human-black bear interactions have increased in North America. Research is needed to clarify influences on human concern about and reaction to bear behavior, such that wildlife managers can better understand and maintain stakeholder acceptance capacity for bears. This article uses mail survey data (n = 1,038, response rate = 42%) and structural equation modeling (SEM) to test a conceptual model of factors affecting concern about bears and predisposition to contact authorities for assistance. Findings support hypotheses that both variables are influenced by wildlife value orientation, personal experience with bears, and television viewing. Use of print media is not a predictor of concern or behavioral predisposition, leading to rejection of those hypotheses. Strong wildlife benefits beliefs and neutral personal experience with bear presence attenuate concern, while exposure to television has the opposite effect. Findings suggest that improving measures of personal experience and basic beliefs will strengthen models of bear-related concern.
Herrero et al: That most fatal black bear attacks were predatory and were carried out by 1 bear shows that females with young are not the most dangerous black bears. As a result of our research agencies managing black bear can more accurately understand the risk of being killed by a black bear, and can communicate this to the public. With training, people can learn to recognize the behaviors of a bear considering them as prey and can act to deter predation.
Jay F. Kirkpatrick and Allen T. Rutberg: In spite of the frustrations and obstacles-personal, political, and bureaucratic-we remain optimistic about the future of wildlife contraception. It may be that we are simply optimistic people, but our optimism draws support from our experience. One of us (JFK) has been working on wildlife fertility control for almost thirty years and the other (ATR), for just under a decade; we have seen progress.
Stephen Herrero, Andrew Higgins - Ursus 10:533-537: This paper analyzes the effectiveness of pepper spray for field use. Sprays containing capsicum appear to be potentially useful in a variety of field situations: however, variable responses by bears occur. Because the database is composed of diverse field records, the results should be viewed with caution.
Mia Haavisto, Guidelines Research: Guidelines Research was commissioned to conduct two focus groups among residents in Whistler BC, with the goal of gathering information on the barriers and benefits associated with bear attractant management. The groups were held in Whistler on August 22, 2007 and consisted of nine participants each. The difference between the groups was behavioural, with participants in group A not always managing all bear attractants properly, and those in group B, managing all the attractants mentioned on the screener questionnaire in a bear smart manner.
Washaho Cree Nation/Centre for Northern Studies/KORI: Polar bears, the symbol of the arctic wilderness, live on all the arctic seas and coasts, including areas from the Yukon to Labrador, north to Ellesmere Island, and south to James Bay. There are approximately fourteen populations, totalling 15,000 bears in Canada, and over 1,000 of these are found in Northern Ontario alone. However, recent concerns over the health of the polar bear in general have put them on Ontario’s Endangered Species Act. The Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO), the group responsible for this decision, is currently meeting in Peterborough Ontario to discuss this and other similar decisions, and while COSSARO and various other provincial agencies have declared their recognition of traditional ecological knowledge and aboriginal rights, members of the Washaho Cree Nation at Fort Severn, have not been consulted throughout this process nor have been invited to COSSARO meeting which are currently on-going. In fact, the Cree remain largely peripheral to any discussions regarding the management of polar bears in this province.
In order to have its voice heard, the Washaho Cree Nation is releasing a research report highlighting the key finding from a four year research projects conducted with the Keewaytinook Okimakanak Research Institute (KORI) in Thunder Bay, the Centre for Northern Studies at Lakehead University, and the Fort Severn First Nation on a project examining polar bear migration and habitat in Northern Ontario. The report highlights current polar bear migration patterns, feeding patterns previously unreported, as well as the use of the landscape by polar bears, and describes how the community is developing adaptive wildlife management strategies that pertain to polar bears.
Engaging communities who live and interact with polar bears in Ontario and elsewhere in Northern Canada is an essential component of adaptive, co-management wildlife strategies. The province has so far been somewhat hesitant in its recognition of TEK and subsequent engagement of First Nations in wildlife management.
B. Bertch, M. Gibeau, Parks Canada: First Annual Report: summary of a multi-year project to obtain, amalgamate and verify grizzly bear datasets for the Mountain National Parks (Banff, Jasper, Waterton Lakes, Mt. Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks)
|
|
|
