International Bear News · 2 International Bear News February 2005 vol. 14, no. 1 Table of Contents International Bear News, ISSN #1064-1564, quarterly newsletter of the International

Quarterly Newsletter of the International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA)and the IUCN/SSC Bear Specialist Group

International Bear NewsFebruary 2005 vol. 14, no. 1

IBA website: www.bearbiology.org/www.bearbiology.com

Vieu at Parke Tropikal (see page 34).

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2 International Bear News February 2005 vol. 14, no. 1

Table of Contents

International Bear News, ISSN #1064-1564, quarterly newsletter of the International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA).Editor: Teresa DeLorenzo, Design: Cynthia Cheney, 10907 NW Copeland St., Portland, Oregon 97229-6145, USA.

Phone (503) 643-4008, Fax (503) 643-4072, Email [email protected], Website www.bearbiology.com/www.bearbiology.org.Back issues are available at www.bearbiology.com.

MembershipUse the form on the page 53 to order or renew memberships, make donations, and update member information.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this issue. Artwork is copyrighted—do not reproduce without permission.Thank you to CityGraphics and Imaging, Portland, Oregon, USA for generously discounting the cost of printing.

Deadline for the May 2005 issue is April 15, 2005.

Editorial Policy International Bear News welcomes articles about biology, conservation and management of the world’s eight bear species. Submis-sions of 750-1500 words are preferred, and photos, drawings and charts are appreciated. Submissions to [email protected] arepreferred, otherwise mail or fax to the address above. IBA reserves the right to accept, reject and edit submissions.

Council News 3 From the President5 Research & Conservation Grants Program — Editor’s Thank Yous — Newsletter Online6 Part II: Ways to Donate Money to Bears8 In Memory: Ralph Flowers 1928-2004

Bear Specialist Group 9 Sri Lanka Sloth Bear Expert Team 2004 Update11 Bear Specialist Group Coordinating Committee

Eurasia 12 Workshop on the Recent Black Bear-human Conflicts in Japan13 Tibetan Black Bear on Verge of Extinction in China14 Do Giant Panda Nature Reserves Serve the Needs of Asiatic Black Bears?16 Bear Trees in North Taiga Landscapes of the Ilich Basin18 Fatal Bear Attacks on Humans in Romania

Website: Slovakia Bear Facts, Myths & Media19 Bulgaria Bear Management21 Greece: Monitoring Project Update on the Egnatia Highway Construction22 Monitoring the Brown Bear in the Italian Alps Through Non-invasive Genetic Sampling

Last Female Pyrenean Brown Bear ShotAmericas 23 Sierra de Portuguesa Andean Bear Pilot Study

24 The Life History of an Extraordinary Female Barren-ground Grizzly Bear25 Barren-ground Grizzly Bear Shot in Yellowknife, NWT26 Central Canada: Ontario Polar/Black Bear Projects, Manitoba Black Bear-human Conflicts

Southwest USA: Revising Management Strategies in Arizona, New Mexico Tidbits27 American Black Bear Hibernating in Bald Eagle Nest28 New Jersey Bear Contraception — Court Decides: No New Jersey Bear Hunt29 Southeast USA: Florida Nuisance Research, Florida Population Study, Georgia Black Bears

Captive Bears 32 Full Circle in China33 First Successful Sloth Bear Birth at Colombo Zoo, Sri Lanka34 The Adventures of the “Bears of Montecristo” or How Four Old Bears Escaped from an Island36 Idaho Black Bear Rehab

Student Forum 37 Truman Student List Serve — Thunder!38 Student Spotlight: Andreas Zedrosser, Austria

Publications 39 Contents: Ursus 16(1) 2005 — Wildlife Accident Reporting System 1983-2002Bears in Culture 40 Pihoqahiak: The Ever-wandering OneOpportunities 41 Funding for Field-based Wildlife Conservationists — AZA Grants

Volunteers Needed for Wyoming Bear Habitat ResearchEvents 42 18th Eastern Black Bear Workshop, Florida, USA

43 Italy 16th IBA Conference — Registration — Travel Grants48 AZA: Professional Training, Regional Meetings, Annual Conference49 International Wildlife Film Festival

First European Congress of Conservation BiologyNinth Western Black Bear Workshop, New Mexico, USA

50 Japan 17th IBA Conference51 Mexico 18th IBA Conference

IBA 52 IBA Officers & Council53 IBA Membership Application55 IBA Publications Order FormBack About IBA & Mission Statement

3International Bear News February 2005 vol. 14, no. 1

Council NewsFrom the President

Harry ReynoldsAlaska Department of Fish and Game1300 College RoadFairbanks, AK 99701, USAPhone (907) 459-7238Fax (907) 451-9723Email [email protected][email protected]

After 4 days of temperatures lessthan –40 degrees, made more frigidby the ice fog that accompanies coldweather, it cleared yesterday and lifeis good again. Although the tempera-tures are still cold, the ice fog is goneand last night the aurora seemed tocover a fourth of the sky. It shim-mered in a vast river in the sky ofundulating light, twisting and rollingto a distant single point far to thenorthwest. All the while, femalebears across the northern hemisphereare giving birth and are nestledwithin the warm micro-climate of abed inside their dens. Cubs born nowwill help determine the futurecapacity of population stability,growth or decline. If the birth andsurvival of cubs were the primaryfactors driving the status of bearpopulations, few would face theuncertainties of today. It is our job todevise strategies to enable those whoshare the land with bears to beaccepting, or better yet, be veryinvolved in conserving, maintaining,and ensuring long-term existence ofviable bear populations. Maintaininghabitats that support bears meansthat ecosystems will remain healthywith broad components of otherwildlife and water resources adequateto sustain them along with humanneeds. This should challenge us all.

Gobi BearsThe Gobi bear is critically endan-

gered. Available information suggestas few as 20-25 individuals exist inthe Great Gobi, a Strictly Protected

Area in the Gobi Desert of southernMongolia. Their distribution iscentered around 3 oases complexesin the area. Although they may havepersisted in this extreme environ-ment at about this population sizefor as long as 35 years, presentdrought conditions and other factorsindicate that further declines may beimminent.

The people of Mongolia view theGobi bear as a national treasure andare dedicated to bringing it backfrom the edge of extinction. To thisend, Minister Barsbold of theMongolian Ministry of Nature andEnvironment convened a workshopin Ulaanbaatar during 2-3 November2004 to develop strategies andrecommendations for conservationand enhancement of the population.Organized under the auspices of theMinistry of Nature and Environment,the United Nations DevelopmentProgram, and the Wildlife Conserva-tion Society, a total of 75 peopleparticipated, including ministry staff,members of the Mongolian Parlia-ment, Mongolian Academy ofScience experts, NGO staff, nationalpark staff, local environmentalists,and international specialists. Iattended along with seven other IBA/Bear Specialist Group members: DaveGarshelis, Djuro Huber, Lydia Kolter,Peter Zahler, Tom McCarthy, EvanBlumer and Petra Kaczensky.

Other than the fact that thepopulation is small enough so theyare at high risk of extinction, mostinformation necessary to save Gobibears is not known. They appear tobe closely confined to the 3 oasescomplexes, but it is not known ifthere is movement between thecomplexes. No data is available todetermine what factors may bekeeping the population at low levelsor to provide more than a roughestimate of numbers. They are

closely related to brown bears but itis presently unknown whether theyare distinct enough to merit separatespecies designation or are closelyrelated to the brown bears foundabout 200 km distant in the TienShan mountains of China. Pelletizedlivestock fodder has been provided tobears during spring at 2-3 sites in aneffort to supplement diets because ofthe possibility that available foodresources limit the population.

Workshop recommendationsincluded six broad actions thatshould be accomplished in the verynear future. In addition, a total of 27specific recommendations for actionwere developed by workgroups for(1) Population Assessment andMonitoring; (2) Genetics andDemographics; and (3) HumanDimensions. Complete InternationalGobi Bear Conservation and Manage-ment Workshop Recommendationscan be viewed on the IBA website,http://www.bearbiology.org.

The dedication and capabilitiesthat Mongolian scientists and bearspecialists bring to this effort areinvaluable. They welcomed theopportunity for an interchange ofbear research and managementexperience and expertise from IBA,the Bear Specialist Group and otherinternational specialists. It is just thissort of interchange that IBA workstoward in our commitment to theworld’s remaining bear populations.

Experience and ExchangeGrants Program

IBA Council adopted measures toestablish a program based on aconcept first proposed as part of theBear Conservation Fund prospectus.This new IBA-sponsored program isdesigned to help subsidize travel forbiologists seeking to broaden theirunderstanding of bear conservation,increase their technical experience


Council NewsFrom the President, cont’d.

and skills, or gain on-site guidance inresearch design through cooperativerelationships with other biologistsand projects elsewhere in the world.Grants will support either bringingexperienced bear specialists to helptrain co-workers in another country,or to bring a biologist or educatorfrom a country where a program isjust beginning to an establishedstudy site to gain hands-on experi-ence with techniques used forresearch, management, educationand conservation efforts. As onerecipient of an exchange put it, “Thevalue of such exchanges is immeasur-able [and when] we can providesupport for a young researcher tovisit a well-established study site orbring a senior researcher to helpdevelop a program in any location, itwill be a tremendous achievement.”

Grants will be awarded on anannual basis through a competitiveapplication process, overseen by anew IBA committee, the Experienceand Exchange Grants ProgramCommittee.

IBA MembershipDuring the last two years member-

ship in IBA has declined and thistrend needs to be reversed. This isnot because we want to grow forgrowth’s sake. No, the need forconservation of bears has notdecreased but is becoming morecritical in many parts of the world.IBA provides the forum for theexchange of information, statusreports, and emerging more effectivemethodologies that is crucial to thefuture of bears.

While not a large organization,IBA is known for its dedication toconservation, excellence in scientificapproach, quality of this newsletterand our peer-reviewed journal Ursus,and effectiveness of communityprograms and educational material

to benefit bear conservation. Thanksto donors and members, we have agrowing grants program to accom-plish our goals and mission. About97% of our income is spent toaccomplish our goals and supportthe grants program and only about3% is overhead. IBA has no paidstaff, and all council members,officers and other contributors arevolunteers. Our membership duessupport IBA’s conservation efforts onbehalf of bears, and to educate anddisseminate information about bearsthrough publication of this newslet-ter and our journal.

Ursus contains the scientific papersthat are used by biologists worldwideto build upon and apply to effectivebear conservation. We also dependupon page charges from those whopublish in Ursus to help fund itspublication, and authors are encour-aged to budget accordingly. Anapplication can be made to the IBATreasurer (see page 52) for an IBAPublication Grant to partially or fullypay for page charges.

IBA recognizes that in somecountries economics do not allowthose who can benefit from IBAmembership to afford subscriptiondues. For those individuals, reduceddues can be paid, or in some cases,applications are granted for compli-mentary memberships. Manymembers provide gift membershipsto individuals or conservationorganizations, and some choose toallow IBA to select a deserving giftmembership recipient. Whereproviding an IBA membership canfurther bear conservation, we shouldall help to find a way to make thathappen (use page 53).

Some of the decline in member-ship may be a result of the duesincrease initiated in 2002 or uninten-tional failure to renew. We don’tknow. IBA doesn’t send reminder

letters for membership lapses, butinstead depends upon noticesincluded with individual newsletters.Traditionally, conferences held inNorth America draw many newmembers and many continuingmembers use the opportunity to payfor dues, but during the excellentconference in San Diego, budgetaryshortfalls by governments andorganizations resulted in travelrestrictions and less than expectedturnout. Another possibility is thatIBA hasn’t subscribed to services thatwould allow us to accept dues viaelectronically secure connections.Regardless of the reason for member-ship declines, we are interested inmembers’ opinions — please contactme or any Council member.

IBA BrochureA brochure outlining the purpose,

function, and programs of IBA willsoon be available in pdf form thatcan be downloaded from the IBAwebsite: www.bearbiology.com. Thiscan be printed and distributed toanyone who is interested in bearconservation and who may want tojoin our organization. It was com-pleted through the efforts of JohnHechtel, Karen Noyce, IsaacGoldstein, Robert Buchanan, ChrisMorgan, Joan Rog and Councilmembers. Take a look at it and feelfree to print copies whenever itmight be useful. Isaac Goldstein hastranslated a version in Spanish.Other translators are welcome.

16th IBA ConferencePlans for the conference in Italy

are detailed starting on page 43, andshow that the meeting is shaping upto be very interesting. A registrationform is on page 45. Those wishing toapply for a travel grant can use theform on page 47.


Council News

Frederick Dean, ChairResearch and ConservationGrants Committee810 Ballaine RoadFairbanks, AK 99709, USAEmail [email protected]

As usual, the year end deadline forproposals resulted in a flurry ofinternet activity. This year all butone or two submissions of proposalsand references went smoothly. Allproposals and references are ac-knowledged as soon as possible afterthey have been received. If you eversubmit a proposal or send areference and do not receive anacknowledgement within a reason-able time, either re-send it orinquire about it (even using adifferent method of communica-tion). This is especially important ifyour submission was sent close tothe deadline. There have been a fewinstances where transmissions havenot arrived.

Research and Conservation Grants Program

Species

Number of Proposals for Each Species or

GroupHelarctos malayanus 2Melursus ursinus 3Tremarctos ornatus 6Ursus americanus 5Ursus arctos 14Ursus maritimus 1Ursus thibetanus 6All species 1

Table 1. Species distribution of researchand conservation proposals received forthe 2004-2005 review. (Note that someproposals are concerned with more thanone species.)

By December 31, 2004 we received34 proposals. The funds requestedtotal US$169,333. Consequently, Iexpect that the committee will havesome difficult work reviewingproposals and making decisions. Wewill start the process very soon andhope to complete it by early March.However, given the nature ofeveryone’s life and work, andinevitable unforeseen circumstances,we can make no promises at thistime.

The list of countries or regions inwhich work is proposed includes:Bolivia, Cambodia, Canada, China,Ecuador, Finland, India, Indonesia,Italy, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, NorthAmerica, Pakistan, Romania, Russia,Slovakia, Spain, Sumatra, Thailand,USA, Ukraine, and Venezuela. Severalare represented by more than oneproposal.

Newsletter OnlinePast newsletters are posted on the

IBA website: www.bearbiology.com.Beginning with the August 2004issue, the file size has been reducedto facilitate downloading.

Editor’s Thank YousThank you to everyone who

contributed to this issue, includingregular correspondents:

Charity Kraft-BartoskewitzChristine ClarkePam CoyFred DeanDiana Doan-CriderMatthew E. DurninThomas EasonSuesan EuingShaenandhoa Garcia-RangelJackson GrossHarry ReynoldsRobin RiggAnja Schoettler

American black bear cubs at Idaho Black Bear Rehab (see page 36).

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Council NewsPart II: Ways To Donate Money to Bears —and create savings for you and your loved ones

Bernie PeytonUcucu Productions136 Parkside DriveBerkeley, CA 94705, USAPhone 510 655-9660Email [email protected]

This is the second part of a two-part article on ways you can donateto the future of bears and the IBA.The first part (IBN, November 2004,13(4):6-7) addressed bequests andretirement plans. This second partincludes life income gifts, and estateplanning. Both parts are biasedtoward United States taxpayersbecause I am not aware of how giftand estate planning occurs else-where. I do not wish to insult non-U.S. citizens and I apologize for thishuge oversight in advance. I hope acompanion article will be written bysomebody to give this topic a worldview. Our members who are not USAresidents, or who do not pay taxes inthe United States, can benefit fromknowing how to cultivate donorswith the information in this article.The information presented here isnot exhaustive. The benefits to youand IBA will vary according to yourparticular financial circumstances. Iencourage anyone who is interestedin making a large gift to consult witha tax and estate attorney about theoptions. I gratefully received com-ments and examples for this articlefrom tax advisor, Philip Falzone;Frank van Manen; Piero Genovesi;Harry Reynolds; and the spring 2004newsletter of the John HarvardSociety.

Life Income GiftsIs it possible to increase your

income and at the same time make ameaningful gift to IBA? Yes. If youare a U.S. resident and own stockthat pays you very little in dividends(say 2% or less), transfer ownership

of the stock to IBA by establishingeither a “charitable remainderunitrust” or a “charitable remainderannuity trust”. The first vehicleprovides the beneficiary (you, orsomeone else) a fixed percentage ofthe fair market value of the assets inthe trust. The actual amount wouldvary annually according to how wellthe assets performed. The annuitytrust provides the beneficiary with afixed income, say 5-7.5% or perhapsgreater annual return. These fixedamounts would be paid to thebeneficiary for life, after which theassets would be given to IBA. So let’ssay you purchased $10,000 of GrizzlyScat Co. (GS) shortly after it wentpublic, and you are now 70 years oldand living on a tight budget. GS onlypays you $2,000 in annual dividends,but is now worth $100,000. Youwant to sell GS and buy somethingthat gives you more income. But youcan’t sell GS without paying a 15%capital gains tax. Answer: transferthe stock to a charitable remainderannuity trust and specify that youwant $6,000 of annual income fromit. Not only do you triple yourincome from that stock, and avoidthe capital gains tax, but you areentitled to a charitable contributionthat could be worth approximately$50,000! Sound like a multiple win-win for you and IBA? There are someother rules that apply, but they arenot too onerous. For example currenttax law prohibits anyone fromaccepting annuity distributions orunitrust interest of more than 50% ofthe trust’s value, and the remaindergoing to charity must not be lessthan 10% of the initial value of theproperty.

Being CreativeWith planning it is possible for

people with modest means toprovide for their loved ones and still

make significant contributions to theinstitutions they care about. Myadvice to anyone is take control ofthis issue. It means more thanhaving a will that designates whoreceives your assets when you die. Itmeans having long-term strategiesthat could include any of thevehicles mentioned above. Do notleave it for courts of law to decidewhat happens to your assets, and trynot to be victimized while you arealive by ever-changing tax codes.Instead take advantage of opportuni-ties by planning ahead. The extrayou save could allow you to benefitbears and their habitat well past yourlifetime, and still provide enoughincome for you and your loved ones.Here are some examples of creativethinking.

Long-term Estate PlanningEstate planning can maximize

lifetime gifts. A bear researcher withchildren inherits $300,000 from aparent’s estate, or has some savings.She could keep that money and betaxed annually on any incomegenerated from it, or she could takeadvantage of the lifetime exclusion(now $1 million dollars) and give allor a large part of it to her childrenwho are taxed at a lower rate. Thisgets a lot of the money out of theresearcher’s future estate (avoidsestate taxes), and puts it to work forthe children. However the biggestpotential savings happen when theresearcher dies. Her estate avoidspaying the gift tax on any apprecia-tion of her original gift to herchildren. A sprinkle trust is oneinstrument that enables trustees todistribute income among childrenwith varying needs. This instrumentalso allows income to be madeequitable when some children havemore income than others. Later on,the children, having graduated from


Council News

good universities without debt (andhopefully having high-paying jobs)are capable of supporting themselvesand perhaps mother as well. Theretired researcher thus feels confi-dent she can invest more of hersavings in her lifetime passion, bearsand IBA’s future. She has the follow-ing statement in her will. If all of usput a modest statement in our willswe would make quite a difference: “Igive (____dollars/euros or ____% ofthe residue of my estate) to theInternational Association for BearResearch and Management, a non-profit charitable organizationestablished for the conservation ofthe world’s bear species throughscience-based research, management,and education.”

United States residents shouldremember that the U.S. tax laws werewritten to favor people who givetheir assets away before they die (I donot advise anyone to give everythingaway). Most people think of estateplans as planning for what happensafter you die. The example above andthat of the annuity trust illustratethat you can leave a legacy for bearsthrough strategic planning while youare alive and still provide for yourselfand others. Here is another example.

Retained Life EstateCan you have your cake and eat it

too? Here is how you can donateyour house to IBA, live in it (or yourspouse or loved ones) during your/their lifetime, and get a tax deduc-tion in the year you make the gift. Soif you own a cabin you bought for$35,000 that is currently appraised at$200,000, not only could you avoidpaying capital gains tax on $165,000by giving the property to IBA, butyou could lower your income taxesby the product of your tax brackettimes the remainder interest in theproperty (what it will be worth at the

time when IBA will sell the prop-erty). You are still responsible for allreal estate taxes during your lifetime.

Charitable Lead TrustThis instrument is appropriate for

those who can part with assetsduring their lifetime and want tobenefit heirs or other beneficiariesafter they die. A donor wouldtransfer assets into a lead trust whosetrustees would pay a specified sum toIBA over a period of time, usually 10or more years. When the trustterminates, the remaining assets(principal) plus any appreciation istransferred to the designated benefi-ciaries. United States citizens receivea reduction in their federal estate taxequal to the estimated value of theannual payments to IBA from thetrust. Also the appreciation is notsubject to additional estate tax. Thisis an excellent way to benefit IBAand shield income from estate taxes.

Short-term Financial PlanningThere are many ways one can find

money over the short term forcharities. Here are some ways. Planto make your largest gifts during theyears when you have the mostincome. If at all possible, make yourgift in the beginning of the yearbecause it will have a longer impactand allow IBA to plan. If you own abusiness you can reduce taxableincome in a current year by invoic-ing clients in the next year. The taxsavings could be used to fund one ofIBA’s excellent conservation projects.If you receive a year-end bonus andwant to reduce income to allow taxsavings, ask your employer to datethe bonus check January 1. It isgenerally favorable to incur highcapital gains in years when you alsoincur offsetting losses. Look for thesematching losses when you want tosell appreciated assets.

Income Tax SavingsThis is not so creative as it is a

fact. I placed it here because anyonecan remind either themselves and/orsomeone else to give to IBA theportion of their income that isreduced under the recent tax reliefact in the United States. Federalincome taxes in the United States arereduced by as much as 2-4+ % forpeople in the upper tax brackets.Your argument is “Well, you livedwithout it for any number of yearswithout too much pain, why not dosomething significant with it forbears?” This can be worth thousandsof dollars a year between now and2011 (possibly thereafter if re-enacted by the U.S. Congress).

Other Ways to DonateDo you know someone who is

looking for a reputable organizationto give to? Keep in mind that peoplewith a lot of assets are looking forreputable charities that will createmaximum services from theirdonation. They also consider theopportunity to help out as a gift theygive themselves. Tell them about IBAand ask them if they would like toexplore what IBA can do with theirpartnership. Our Council (see page52) and members of the EconomicDevelopment Committee would beglad to talk with them.

If you are writing a book, distrib-uting a movie, or an informationpamphlet, please consider asking IBAif they would agree to receive anendorsement in your work. The sameprinciple applies to companies andorganizations that make money frombear viewing, or some other resourcein bear habitat. First contact IBA’sCouncil before asking them if theywould be willing to share some ofthose profits with IBA. The publicrelations value of that gesture couldincrease a company’s bottom line.


Council News

Ralph Flowers, B.d. (B.d. stands for “Bear dude”, a title hegave himself), was called the “bear man” in Washington State,USA. People who knew him well describe him as intelligent,witty, humble and generous. A uniquely accomplished man,Ralph published three books about his bear work, was wellknown for his wildlife drawings and sculptures, played thepiano, was a great outdoorsman and an excellent teacher whospoke Spanish fluently. He was one of the few true gentlemen Imet in my life. Ralph had many good reasons to be proud abouthis accomplishments but first and foremost, he was proud of hisfamily. The Washington Forest Protection Association has Ralphto thank for his innovative approach to managing bear damagethrough the supplemental spring feeding program, whichbrought him international recognition. His expertise gave himtravel opportunities throughout the USA but also to Germany,Austria, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Japan. Ralph’slegacy continues today and he will be missed greatly by all.

byGeorg ZiegltrumWashington Forest Protection Association724 Columbia St NW, Suite 250, Olympia, WA 98501, USAPhone (360) 705-9290Email [email protected]

In Memory:Ralph Flowers 1928-2004


Bear Specialist GroupSri Lanka Sloth Bear Expert Team 2004 Update

Shyamala RatnayekeDept. of Forestry, Wildlife and FisheriesUniversity of Tennessee274 Ellington Plant Sciences BuildingKnoxville, TN 37996, USAPhone (865) 974-0739Email [email protected]&Rohan A. PierisEmail [email protected]&V. S. J. PragashEmail [email protected]&Charles SantiapillaiEmail [email protected]&Frank T. van ManenEmail [email protected]

Sri Lanka, one of few biodiversityhotspots in the world, faces hugechallenges balancing the needs ofhumans and wildlife. Sloth bears(Melursus ursinus) are found on theIndian subcontinent and Sri Lanka, andare threatened throughout their rangedue to habitat loss and conflict withhumans. Until recently, very little wasknown about the ecology of the SriLankan subspecies of sloth bear (M. u.inornatus) and its current status anddistribution remained largely speculative.

This project, begun in 2002, wasdesigned to document the diversityand ecological relationships of SriLanka’s mammalian carnivores, andidentify priority areas for carnivoreconservation. A capture and radio-telemetry study to obtain basicecological information on the SriLankan sloth bear at WasgomuwaNational Park was a component ofthis project. Sri Lanka’s largestextents of contiguous forest arefound in the north and northeasternregions of the island that, untilrecently, were largely inaccessible tothe general public because of theTamil-Sinhalese ethnic conflict.

These forests historically supportedhealthy populations of sloth bear.With the onset of recent peacenegotiations, economic developmentis expected to accelerate and largeextents of forested habitat cleared toprovide homes and agriculture forreturning families. The changes willdecrease existing wildlife habitat andpossibly increase the frequency ofhuman-sloth bear conflicts. The SriLanka subgroup of the sloth bearexpert team recommended that theisland-wide distribution of slothbears be mapped to provide a reliablebenchmark for assessing changes insloth bear range in future decades.

In 2003, the project receivedsupport from IBA, the Swedish LargeCarnivore Center, and the ChicagoZoological Society to continue thestudy of the sloth bear at Wasgomuwa,and conduct an island-wide survey todetermine the current distribution ofthe sloth bear through 2004. As weembarked on the distribution survey,we decided to also document thelocations, extent, and nature ofhuman-sloth bear conflicts. Generalfindings from the capture and telem-etry study were reported in Interna-tional Bear News, 13(1):11-12.

After testing questionnaires in2003, the survey was launched in2004. It covered the historic range ofthe sloth bear in Sri Lanka, includingjungles of the dry and intermediatezones. We used 1:50,000 land-usemaps to systematically sampleforested areas in historic sloth bearrange based on 10 x 10 km2 gridcells. We conducted 287 structuredinterviews with villagers whoregularly used forests adjacent totheir village. During interviews,information on bear occurrence, andperceptions and attitudes towardssloth bears was gathered.

Among some of the main findingsfrom the survey was the discovery ofa few isolated and probably relictpopulations of sloth bears. Therewere no reports of nuisance behav-ior, such as raiding crops and trashpiles. Most respondents using forestsinhabited by bears outside nationalparks felt that the absence of bearswould be a blessing. This contrastedwith regions where the only bearhabitat existed within a nationalpark, where entry without a permitor accompanying wildlife officer isillegal. Villagers in such areas viewedsloth bears with greater tolerance, despite

Land use map of Sri Lanka showing forested extents (left) and historic range of the slothbear (right) in the dry zone lowlands of Sri Lanka.


Bear Specialist Group

Sloth bear team members, Rohan Pieris (right) and V. S. J. Pragash (center right),interviewing a rural inhabitant of the Vanni region in the north of Sri Lanka

Rohan Pieris documenting an account of a sloth bear attack. The victim (on right) losthis left eye, sustained a fracture to the frontal bone of the skull, and several lacerations

to shoulders, arms and legs from the attack.

recurrent aggressive encounters withbears when they entered protectedareas for hunting or gathering forestproducts. Almost all respondents didnot support protection of sloth bears.Respondents that admitted to shoot-ing sloth bears cited self-defense or fearof an imminent attack as the primaryreason. Some individuals collectedbear fat for its supposed ability tostimulate hair growth, but manyclaimed this was an old, now defunct,practice. Trade in bear parts was notcited as a reason for killing bears.

Concurrent with the distributionsurvey, we located and interviewed277 victims of bear attacks todetermine the date, site and charac-teristics of the attack, the outcome ofthe episode, and nature of theinjuries incurred. If a reported bearvictim could not be located, we left aquestionnaire with the victim’sfamily to be returned by mail. About15% (n = 11) of such questionnaireswere returned. Most victims wereattacked within the last 20 years andmost attacks resulted from enteringforests to hunt, fell trees, tend slash-burn cultivations, or gather honey.We also obtained eyewitness ac-counts of 3 deaths resulting frombear attacks, one of which occurredin 2004, during the survey.

The recent tsunami that devastatedthe southeastern and eastern coasts ofSri Lanka included areas where slothbears still occur. Forested areas on theeast coast would have sustainedextensive damage and deforestation.Because fishing settlements occuralong most of the coastline, sloth bearsare not commonly encountered nearcoastal areas, except in national parks.It is most likely that sloth bearpopulations will be affected indirectlyby this event, through increasedpressure on forest resources due todisplacement of large numbers ofpeople.

Sri Lanka Sloth Bear Expert Team 2004 Update, cont’d


Bear Specialist Group

Bruce McLellanCoordinating Committee Co-chair

email [email protected]

Dave GarshelisCoordinating Committee Co-chair


Harry ReynoldsIBA Representative


Diana Doan-Crideremail [email protected]

Isaac Goldsteinemail [email protected]

John Seidenstickeremail [email protected]

Francisco CuestaAndean Bear Expert Team Chair


Dave GarshelisAsiatic Black Bear

Expert Team Co-chairemail [email protected]

Rob SteinmetzAsiatic Black Bear

Expert Team Co-chairemail [email protected]

S. SathyakumarSouth Asian Brown Bear

Expert Team Chairemail [email protected]

John PaczkowskiNorth Asian Brown Bear

Expert Team [email protected]

Djuro HuberEuropean Brown BearExpert Team Co-chair


Bear Specialist Group Coordinating Committee

Jon SwensonEuropean Brown BearExpert Team Co-chair


Lu ZhiGiant Panda Expert Team Chair


Shyamala RatnayekeSloth Bear Expert Team Co-chair


K. YoganandSloth Bear Expert Team Co-chair


Gabriella FredrikssonSun Bear Expert Team Co-chair


Siew Te WongSun Bear Expert Team Co-chairemail [email protected]

Chris ServheenTrade in Bear Parts Expert Team Chair


Scott SchliebePolar Bear Specialist Group


Sibiriakovsky Track, 2004 (see pages 16-17).


Eurasia

Shinsuke KoikeTokyo University of Agriculture andTechnology/Japan Bear Network3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu-cityTokyo, 183-8509, JapanEmail [email protected]

In 2004, there was a dramaticincrease in injuries to humans bybears that frequently appearedoutside their usual distribution areain the Hokuriku, Kinki, and Chugokuregions on Honshu Island in Japan.This has led to a heightened nation-wide interest in the issue (IBN 13(4):16-17). It is necessary to analyze thecause for such bear behavior and finda solution to the problem, based on adetailed field study, in order topromote coexistence betweenhumans and bears, and futuremanagement of the same. Therefore,the Japan Bear Network (JBN) quicklyorganized a workshop on 11-12December 2004, at the Gifu Univer-sity in Japan, to discuss the bearsituation during 2004.

Approximately 80 participantsincluding bear biologists, wildlifeadministrative officers from eachregion, Ministry of Environmentstaff, a politician, journalists anduniversity students attended theworkshop. Thus, I felt that theunusual bear activity had generatedinterest in many people, and a waveof interest had spread across peoplein various fields. This thought wasfurther substantiated by the presenceof several mass media companiesduring the workshop.

The first day of the workshop, thepresent situation for each prefecture

in which frequent bear-humanconflicts had occurred in 2004 wasreported. On day two, discussionfocused on future countermeasures,the prospects for executing thecountermeasures, and the probablechallenges that the Ministry of theEnvironment would have to face indoing so.

Reports on the field investigationin the Toyama and Ishikawa Prefec-tures, where bears made frequentappearances, were discussed inparticular detail. In the report fromIshikawa Prefecture, it was reportedthat the numbers of bears capturedincreased rapidly after September(Table 1). In the report from theToyama Prefect, which neighborsIshikawa, the number of nuisancekills during spring-summer wereequal to the annual average, but thenumber of nuisance kills in autumnwas approximately 14 times theannual average. Accordingly, thenumber of injured people in autumnwas 10 times normal. The poorharvests of beech (Fagus crenata) andoak (Quercus mongolica), which areprimary contributors to the bear’sdiet in autumn, can be considered areason for their hunting foraysoutside their domain; however thefrequent occurrences of attacks onhumans cannot be explained by this.The location and scenarios in whichthe bears appeared as well as thefrequency of their appearancediffered from previous years’ observa-tions. It was indicated that for bothToyama and Ishikawa Prefectures,the proximity of the paddy fields andtowns to the forests was a factor that

influenced the incursions of thebears into these places and conse-quently the number of peopleinjured. The participants discussedthe features (such as sex, age, healthcondition) of the attacked individu-als and the geographic environmentin which the attacks were observed.

In many prefectures, where thebears made frequent appearances,killing the bears was adopted as acountermeasure. However, HyogoPrefecture is attempting anothercountermeasure: bear relocation.

Relocation is an alternative to thekilling of bears, and is graduallybeing implemented in each affectedarea. However, there are still severaldoubts about the effectiveness of thismethod. Further, local residentsstrongly oppose this technique andthus it is essential to obtain theiragreement and cooperation in orderto implement this method.

Unfortunately, there is scarcelyany prefecture that possesses amanagement system like HyogoPrefecture. In many prefectures,there is an absence of any system ofinvestigation to obtain basic infor-mation, which is essential formanaging the bears. This year, JBNhas provided support funds to thegroup that carried out an urgentinvestigation in Toyama Prefecture,and JBN is also trying to disseminatecorrect information to the massmedia.

JBN is a network created in orderto implement the various necessaryactivities, investigations and exami-nations, and information exchangefor the purpose of establishing a

Workshop on the Recent Black Bear-human Conflicts in Japan

Table 1. Number of nuisance Japanese black bears killed, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan 2004.

April May June July August Sept. Oct. Nov. Total

# Nuisance kills 16 3 7 7 8 30 86 24 181


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cooperative relationship betweenbears and humans in Japan. JBN actsas a platform for informationexchange among not only thespecialists on bears but also special-ists from other fields, mass media,administrators, students and NGOs.

The following concrete steps havebeen undertaken in order to circulateinformation that will help managethe situation: setting up web pages;sharing of information throughnewsletters; exchanging informationby mailing lists; and, organizingacademic meetings and educationalworkshops in order to enlightenpeople and enlist their support foractivities that require nationwidecooperation, investigations, andexecution of research projects.

In addition to summarizing theresults of the workshop in a report,JBN also organized a public sympo-sium on January 29, 2005. Thesymposium aimed at understandingthe reasons for the frequent incur-sions by bears, particularly withreference to bear behavior and theenvironmental factors. Also, thecountermeasures and strategies tomanage the frequent appearance bybears into areas with human habita-tion were comprehensively explainedbased on the results from theNovember workshop. The sympo-sium aimed to impress upon thecitizens the necessity of the scientificmanagement of bear habitat andbear behavior, and impart the correctknowledge to people, which willshape their understanding of bears.

The IBA 2006 conference in Japan(see page 50) will be a uniqueopportunity to foster a strongercoexistence between humans andbears, as it is being organized after aperiod in which many bears havebeen exterminated and there is awave of public sympathy for bears.

News from China is provided by:Matthew E. DurninUniversity of California BerkeleyEcosystem Science151 Hilgard HallBerkeley, CA 94010, USAPhone (510) 643-2922Fax (510) 643-5098Email [email protected]

[Reprinted from AFP, November19, 2004.]

Beijing — Tibetan black bears areon the verge of extinction in Chinawith their population nearly halvedduring the past decade, mainly dueto poaching to extract their bile formedicine, state media said Friday.

A recent survey conducted by theforestry administration in Tibetshows the region has just 7,031 blackbears, down from 14,062 in 1994,the Xinhua news agency said.

In some counties, not a single bearwas detected.

Ten years ago, the animal, alsoreferred to as the Asiatic black bear,roamed one-third of Tibet.

The Asiatic black bear from Tibetand the Himalayas is now one of themost threatened of the world’s sixendangered bear species, Xinhuacited zoologists saying.

“The decline in the black bearpopulation is mainly a result ofillegal poaching, particularly in thesecond half of the 20th century,”said Liu Wulin, head of the regional

forestry survey institute and awildlife expert.

Despite the animals being undergovernment protection, they are atarget for poachers because the bear’sgall bladder is prized for traditionalChinese medicine and its fur iscoveted by merchants.

Liu urged the local government toraise public awareness on the need toprotect the bears and improve localresidents’ living standards so theywould rely less on hunting them.

Black bears are kept by the thou-sands in China because their bile,extracted from their gall bladdersthrough surgically implantedcatheters, is considered a potentmedicine.

The number of bears of all speciesheld for their bile in China hassoared in recent years, reaching arecord 9,000 in 2002, according toanimal rights groups.

The bile can fetch up to 1,000dollars a kilogram (2.2 pounds) ontraditional Chinese medicinalmarkets.

Tibetan Black Bear on Vergeof Extinction in China


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David L. GarshelisMinnesota Dept. of Natural ResourcesGrand Rapids, MN 55744, USAEmail [email protected]&William J. McSheaSmithsonian InstitutionFront Royal, VA 22630, USAEmail [email protected]&Zhu XiaojianPeking UniversityBeijing 100871, ChinaEmail [email protected]&J. Andrew TrentVirginia Tech.Blacksburg, VA 24061, USAEmail [email protected]&Gong JienSichuan Forestry DepartmentChengdu, Sichuan 610081, ChinaEmail [email protected]

China’s commendable efforts toconserve giant pandas throughestablishment of an interconnectednetwork of nature reserves may ormay not be effective in conservingsympatric Asiatic black bears. We hadhypothesized that some reserves maylack habitats desirable to these bearsduring some seasons, promptingthem to leave the reserve andthereby be exposed to a heightenedrisk of being poached.

Our principal study design wasbased on GPS-collared bears inTangjiahe Nature Reserve, SichuanProvince, China. We had posited thatbears would travel outside thereserve, especially during summer,because of more plentiful soft mastin disturbed habitats with increasedlight penetration, than in matureforests inside the reserve, wherelogging was terminated more than30 years ago.

Do Giant Panda Nature Reserves Serve theNeeds of Asiatic Black Bears?

In March 2004 we collared ourfirst bear, whose winter den inTangjiahe was found by a group oflocal ex-hunters who we had hiredspecifically to find dens. This bear,an adult (11–13 year-old) female, wasdenned in a rock crevice at 2,300 melevation. Three other bears (pre-sumed to be males) that were founddenned on open ledges left their densites when they were approachedwithin range of the dart gun.

A GPS collar with remote down-load capabilities was fitted to thefemale bear. In mid-October, wedownloaded 176 locations that wereobtained since den emergence inmid-April, representing 16% ofattempted locations. During 2004,this bear used an area of only 10km2, and remained entirely withinthe reserve. Moreover, it remained atrelatively high elevations (89% oflocations ≥1,800 m) during all seasons.This was unexpected. Research onAsiatic black bears in similar habitatsin Taiwan and Japan indicatedsignificant seasonal movements andup to 10 times larger home ranges.

We spent most of the summer andfall trapping (4 months, 1,600trapnights), but without success. Someof our traps were located at the edgesof beeyards, which are permittedinside the reserve. However, beekeep-ers reported few raids by bears.

Villagers living in the buffer zoneoutside the reserve also rarely sawbears, and reported few incidences ofbears in their crops during the fall.During 2004, the only notabledepredation was a bear killing threegoats (note: we had used goat meatas trap bait).

To get at the issue of bear use ofdifferent habitats, both in andoutside the reserve, we beganconducting sign transects in andaround Tangjiahe. Each tree withinthe 100 x 20 m transect was carefullyexamined for claw marks of bears, orbroken branches caused by bears.Only definitive bear sign was re-corded. Overall, 60% (15 of 25) oftransects conducted within thereserve had trees with bear sign,whereas sign was found on only 1 of14 transects outside the reserve.

Location of study site: Tangjiahe Nature Reserve (shown larger than actual size),Sichuan, China.


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We have not yet conductedsufficient numbers of sign surveysto conclude whether bears fre-quently use habitats outside thereserve, but we have little evidenceas yet in support of this hypothesis.Possibly some or all of the follow-ing are true: (1) habitat qualitywithin the reserve is better than wehad presumed (as evidenced by thesmall home range of the collaredbear); (2) habitat quality outsidethe reserve is poorer than we hadpresumed; (3) bears do use areasoutside the reserve, but becausefruits there are mainly on bushesrather than trees, sign is lessevident; and/or (4) poaching is sosevere that bear density is low, andthe few individuals that do ventureout of the reserve are killed. It isdifficult to obtain reliable informa-tion about poaching, but we haveheard from local people thathunting and trapping are stillprevalent in the area (even inside

the reserve), and we know of a casein the fall of 2003 where a personwas apprehended with 33 bear pawstaken over a 2–3-month periodfrom this part of Sichuan Province.

We plan to continue our work onseveral fronts. First, we will attemptto collar more bears at den sites thiswinter. Second, we will conducthabitat sampling at locations of ourcollared bear(s) to better under-stand resource availability at highelevations. Third, we will continueto conduct interviews of villagers tolearn more about bear sightingsoutside the reserve and poachingactivities. Finally, we will collectmore sign survey data. We plan todevelop guidelines for the amount

of effortrequired todetect thepresence ofbears indifferenthabitattypes, whentheir densityis low.

This workwas sup-ported bythe U.S.NationalZoo/SmithsonianInstitute andwith grantsfrom theWyomingChapter ofthe WildlifeSociety andthe IBA

Rock den of Asiatic black bear collared inTangjiahe Reserve, steep slope at 2,300 m.

Interior of rock den.


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Stanislav PuchkovskiyUdmurt State UniversityGeography FacultyUniversitetskaya, 1Izhevsk, 426034, Russia.Phone 7 (3412) 52-64-00Fax 7 (3412) 75-58-66Email [email protected]&Nikolay NeifeldPechoro-Ilichsky StateBiosphere ZapovednikYaksha, 169436,Komi Republic, RussiaPhone 7 (8238) 9-56-99Fax 7 (8238) 9-50-91Email [email protected]

In 2004 our team (GeorgiyBidanov, Pavel Kopisov, ValeriyaChukavina and the two authors)worked in the Pechoro-Ilichsky StateBiosphere Zapovednik (PIZ).

The PIZ is located in the Troitzko-Pechorsk district of the Komi Republic.The PIZ Yegro-Laga Forest is in the northtaiga subzone, along the eastern side ofthe Ilich River basin. It is the largestUpper Pechora tributary. The Idgid-Lagaand Ichet-Laga are the Ilich’s majortributaries in this part of the PIZ (Figure1). It is 92.3% forest. The primary forestsare coniferous taiga dominated by fir(Picea sp.), abies (Abies sibirica) andconsiderable cedar pine (Pinus sibirica),with extensive moss cover. Large sectionsof secondary forest are fir dominant withbirch (Betula pubescens). Secondary forestsresult from wildfires, an importantelement in the formation of the taiga,from blowdowns and logging. Secondaryforests occupied nearly 14 % in 1978, buthave markedly increased since then.

The Ilich, Idgid-Laga and Ichet-Lagavalleys have up to five terraces. Onthese terraces are: coniferous forests,moss and moss-herbal mixed forests,and tall-herbage meadow tracts. Largemammal (brown bear (Ursus arctos), elk(Alces alces), caribou (Rangifer

Bear Trees in North Taiga Land-scapes of the Ilich Basin

tarandus)) trailsare locatedalong the valleyterraces andriver shore.

The alwayssmall humanpopulation iscurrently 0.5people per 1 km2

on the Troitzko-Pechorsk district.The populationsof the PIZ andadjacentterritories aremuch smaller.The populationalong the Ilichincreases in thesummer monthswith the arrival of fishermen, hay-makers, tourists, etc. The Ilich River istheir main transport route.

Anthropogenic pressure on the localecosystems was relatively mild as awhole. Through the mid-20th century,caribou herds traveled through the areato reach reindeer moss along the IlichRiver. Due to distance and transportdifficulties, local forests were notextensively logged. However huntingpressure on local game animals wasgreat. The beaver (Castor fiber) washunted aggressively through the end ofthe 19th century. Elk, sable (Marteszibellina), pine marten (Martes martes)and true otter (Lutra lutra) numbers werevery low until the beginning of the 20thcentury. Fishing has been a long termactivity on the Ilich River. Historicallylocal people preserved fish and fish oilwhich was stored in shacks (izbushka,balagan) for protection from bears. Butthe bears often robbed the shacks.Nowadays the local brown bears visit theforest izbushkas and sometimes robthem.

The Ilich River and trails continue tobe used for transportation. Of particular

importance in the PIZ has been theSibiriakovskiy Track , which wasintended to provide a route through theUral Mountains in the 19th century. Thisroad was not completed, but a path wascut through the Yegro-Laga Forest (photopage 11). This path is used by PIZinspectors, expeditions, tourists, etc. Insummer people travel on foot, in winterthey use snowmobiles. Forest surveyingbegan in 1941. In 1978, a grid of paths 2x 4 km was created (Figure 1). Fieldconditions are difficult with many gridpaths blocked by fallen trees.

The zapovednik was created in1930, and its current borders wereestablished in 1959. The area west ofthe Ilich River is not protected.

Field data was collected in a 218km2 area. We surveyed sites likely tocontain signs of bear activity. Wefocused on bear trees and animal trails.We surveyed along the grid paths,

Figure 1. Spatial distribution of bear trees,Yegro-Laga Forest, 2004.Legend:

– bear trees – izbushka

– routes – forest compartment number – cut-through


Route Category Length (km)All Years 2004 All Years 2004

Anthropogenic: grid trails 171.50 93 60 5.42 3.50Sibiriakovskiy Track 27.50 77 40 28.00 14.55other trails 7.65 2 1 2.61 1.31

Natural borders 113.50 230 164 20.26 14.45Woodland 15.50 0 0 0.00 0.00All routes: 335.65 402 265 11.98 7.90

with anthropogenic trails 84.15 185 112 21.98 13.31without anthropogenic trails 251.50 217 153 8.63 6.08

# Bear Trees LFM

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other roads and trails, and naturalborders. Habitat types included woods,river and valley shores, valley terracesand swamp edges. Our methods werederived from publications of bearinvestigators. These methods weremodified and complemented by newtechniques.

For trees marked by bears, werecorded the species of tree, fresh andpast signs of bear activity, single andmulti-year marking. We recorded thetypes of marks: scratches, bitedamage, bark removal, and branchbiting. We recorded fresh andprevious years’ bear hair (from singlehairs to clumps), abrasions (rubbingsigns) and dirt rubbed on trees. Werecorded footprints, wallows,trampled grass and moss. We alsorecorded others signs of bearpresence and activity: scats, preyremains, scratches on deadfalls, etc.

On bear trees, we measured thetree diameter, the height of marks onthe tree, the area of removed bark(estimated in dm2). We determinedthe linear frequency of marking(LFM) signified by the averagenumber of bear trees per 10 km of surveyroute. The trees in the forest stand werecounted along a 1 m wide route. Thisresult was compared with a frequency ofthe different species between the beartrees for estimation of selective marking.K=m/l, where K is the selectivitycoefficient, m is the species frequency inbear trees, and l is the species frequencyin the woodstand.

We recorded the dominant plantspecies, and the types of forest andtopography near the bear trees. The beartrees and trails were mapped usingMicrosoft Excel and MapInfo 5.5.

We worked on the Yegro-Laga Forestfrom 16 July to 3 September 2004.During this time we traveled 335.65 kmof survey routes, including 171.5 km ofthe forest grids, 35.15 km of other trails,113.5 km of natural borders, and 15.5km of forest route by compass. The lastroute category was not planned butresulted when we lost a trail andcontinued forward using a compass.

We recorded 402 bear trees anddescribed 279 trees in detail (30characteristics) and the remainingtrees more briefly. Of 4 areas with elkremains, 2 included signs of bearactivity. A 42.25 km route was sur-veyed to measure forest stand speciesand determine bear marking selectiv-ity. A species identification anddiameter estimate was made for 9,533trees. We described bear paths along 1km lengths with bear tracks.

LFM in the Yegro-Laga Forest (Table1) was more than double that in theYaksha Forest. Density on 1 km2 of

recorded bear trees was 1.84 in theYegro-Laga Forest (1.25 in the YakshaForest). Percentage of bear treesmarked in the current season was71.3% in the Yegro-Laga Forest and50.5% in the Yaksha Forest. Probably,the difference is the result of wildfiresand blowdowns. Pine is dominant inthe Yaksha Forest and therefore thebear trees may be more short-lived.

This hypothesis should beverified.

Figure 1 shows the mappingresults of bear trees. The beartrees are usually on naturalborders of the valley landscapes:valley terraces and shores of theIlich, Idgid-Laga and Ichet-LagaRivers. LFM is reduced on gridtrails. A small portion of gridtrails have a high LFM, such asthe Sibiriakovskiy Track. Thecommon attribute of them —the obvious anthropogenic path.The PIZ inspectors and touriststravel these routes to see thenatural wonders at Man’-pupu-nior and Torre-porre-is.

The average diameter of beartrees (17.38 cm) markedly exceeds theaverage diameter of woodland trees(12.49). This appears to reflect the bears’selectivity for tree size. The local bearsavoid marking birches (K=0.05) evidentlyin preference for coniferous species. Thepositive choice of an abies (K=3.75) and apine (K=3.78) is obvious (Figure 2).

Our investigations in 2004 weresupported by RFFI.

Next year the work will be contin-ued in other forests of the PIZ.

Editor’s note: Space limitationsprevented including references.Please contact the authors.

Table 1. Route lengths and linear frequency of marking (LFM) in Yegro-Laga Forest, 2004

Figure 2. Bear selection of trees, Yegro-Laga Forest, 2004.


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Robin RiggSlovak Wildlife SocietyPO Box 72, L. Hradok, 033 01SlovakiaEmail [email protected] www.slovakwildlife.org

For over two decades bears havebeen feeding regularly from house-hold garbage containers in theRacadau district of Brasov, a city of400,000 people at the forest edge inthe Carpathian Mountains ofRomania. According to a report onthe phenomenon by Laszlo Szabo-Szeley of the Aves Foundation (http://www.avestours.ro/ursusarctos/garbage/raport.htm), the number ofscavenger bears increased from 6-8individuals in the 1980s to 24 in thesummer of 2003, most of themmothers with cubs or young animals.Although many of the bears hadbecome highly human habituated andpeople often approached very closely,even sometimes hand-feeding them,there were no major human-bearincidents during this period.

That all changed dramatically in2004. In early July two people werehurt when a female, reportedly withtwo cubs, attacked them in front ofan apartment block at 4 am. Szabo-Szeley claims that the injured peoplehad provoked the bear by harassingit. Luminita Holban, writing in BBCWildlife Magazine, reported that thebear was caught and put in the localzoo. A second, much more seriousincident, occurred in October, whena bear attacked several people in thenearby forest during the day, killingone person at the scene. Reportsdiffer in respect of other details.According to Christoph Promberger,director of the Carpathian LargeCarnivore Project (CLCP) in Romaniafrom 1993 to 2003, when an ambu-lance arrived, the bear attacked againand seriously wounded another

seven people, of whom two died. Areport by the BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3749604.stm) stated that, “theanimal attacked and injured fivepeople out picking mushrooms andfell on three others in another part ofthe woods.” Erika Stanciu, Forest andProtected Area Team Leader for theWWF Danube CarpathianProgramme, says that the circum-stances preceding the attack are notclear. There were unconfirmedrumors that the bear was firstattacked by people, who were“playing” with it as it tried to get tofood in a picnic area. The bear wasfinally shot by hunters and appar-ently tested positive for rabies.

Promberger blames local authori-ties for the deaths because, despitebeing in possession of sound man-agement recommendations, they hadnot taken adequate measures toprevent bears coming so close tohuman habitation. The CLCP (http://www.clcp.ro) concluded that the bestapproach in Brasov would be tomake the garbage containers inacces-sible to bears, shoot any humanhabituated and food-conditionedindividuals and scare away otherswhich only occasionally visit thecontainers. Holban noted thatseveral bears had already beenrelocated farther away from thetown. Szabo-Szeley concluded thatthe best solution is simply to removegarbage daily instead of letting itdecompose for weeks. He is con-vinced that hunting practices,particularly the use of bait stations,have contributed to the humanhabituation and food conditioningof the Brasov bears. Some localresidents, however, like the situationas it is and make money fromtourists by selling T-shirts withphotographs of the bears, and tidbitsto feed them.

The immediate response of BrasovTown Hall to the fatalities was todeclare that all the bears wouldeither be shot or caught and placedin captivity. Patrols were establishedto try to prevent bears reaching thegarbage bins. According toPromberger, little else was donebefore bears stopped using the areaas winter set in. People were injuredby bears in other incidents elsewherein the Carpathians, but this happensevery year in Romania withoutcausing such a stir as the events inBrasov did. The number of bearattacks on humans in Slovakiashowed an increase in 2004 com-pared to 2003. There were alsoreports of heightened bear-humanconflicts including attacks in severalother countries, including Greece,Sweden and Japan (see IBN (13)4,November 2004).

Website:Slovakia BearFacts, Myths & Media

Robin RiggSlovak Wildlife SocietyPO Box 72, L. Hradok, 033 [email protected]

A new website (http://www.medvede.sk) in English andSlovak has been set up to offerreliable information based onscientific research on bears inSlovakia, comparison with thesituation worldwide, ways to reduceor prevent problems with bears andmuch more. The aim is to raisepeople’s awareness of bears, reducenegative feelings and so promote

Fatal Bear Attacks on Humans in Romania


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better coexistence. The main targetgroups are the general public,particularly pupils, teachers, youngpeople and those living or workingin areas with bears, but also bearmanagers, journalists and anyoneinterested in finding out more aboutEuropean brown bears. The siteincludes basic facts such as whatbears eat, where they live and detailsof their life cycle. Results of scientificresearch on feeding ecology andlivestock losses as well as a survey ofpublic opinion will be presented.There is also information on how touse preventive measures in order toreduce damage caused by bears aswell as the risk of bear-humanencounters. To make the learningprocess more attractive and fun touse, there is a quiz and a sectionexploring which common beliefsabout bears are really true and whichare just myths. There is also a rangeof educational materials that can beordered through the site.

Because reports on television andin newspapers are often sensational-ized and one-sided, the websiteincludes a section on “news andcomment” to give a more completeand accurate picture of bears. TheSlovak media’s reporting on bearswas particularly provocative in 2004.Even when bears had apparentlybeen the victims, as when twoindividuals were killed by vehicles inseparate incidents or when one wasfound dead with a stomach full ofplastic, journalists emphasized thepotential danger from bears to thepublic. Hunters were frequentlyshown explaining that bear-humanconflicts were the result of bearsbeing “over-populated”. Television

reports typically ended with theconclusion that because such-and-such a thing had happened, bearswere sure to be hungry and thereforeagitated and aggressive. Almost nomodern scientific research has beendone on bears in Slovakia and sothere is considerable scope for suchopinions to be offered without anysupportive data. For example, in theweek following major storm damageto forests in the Tatras National Parkon 19 November 2004, a residentclaimed to have found (highlyunusually) tracks of a bear near thecapital, Bratislava, around 300 kmaway. On national television news aprofessor of biology and a fieldecologist each speculated that thebear might have fled from the stormin the Tatras and covered the dis-tance in 5 days, despite there beingseveral mountain ranges populatedby bears between the Tatras andBratislava. In the future, a briefsummary of such reports will beadded to the website followed by acommentary that includes alterna-tive, more factually-based explana-tions for the incidents reported andcomparisons to situations in othercountries.

The website is being developed bythe Slovak Wildlife Society as part ofits BEARS Project (Bear Education,Awareness and Research in Slovakia)thanks to the support of WWF andAlertis Fund for Bear and NatureConservation.

Margje Voeten, DirectorAlertis Fund for Bearand Nature ConservationPO Box 93910 AA Rhenen, The NetherlandsPhone 0031-317 650219Fax 0031 317 613727Email [email protected] www.alertis.nl&Aleksandar DutsovBalkani Wildlife Society67, Tzanko Tzerkovski st., ent. V, ap.3Sofia 1421, BulgariaPhone 00359-2-9631470Email [email protected] www.balkani.org

In January 2005 Bulgaria beganpreparations for a national manage-ment plan for the brown bear. Alertis,Fund for Bear and Nature Conserva-tion and the Balkani Wildlife Societyhave started a project which willcoordinate the activities necessary todevelop such a plan.

Europe once offered a wide range ofnatural habitats for its large carnivorespecies such as the brown bear (Ursusarctos). Today, however, relict bearpopulations are dangerously small andhighly fragmented in Southern,Central and Eastern Europe such as inBulgaria. The current brown bearpopulation in Bulgaria is divided intotwo subpopulations. They occur in theCentral Balkan Mountain range and inthe Rila-Rodopean massif. The latterextends into the northern bearpopulation of Greece. The Balkanrange population is completelyisolated from the other population.The Rilo-Rhodopean massif consists ofRila mountain, Pirin Mountain,Rhodopi Mountain and some migra-tion apparently still occurs to theregion of Vitosha Mountain through asystem of small mountains. All themain ridges of the above mentionedmountains are above 2000 m altitude.

BulgariaBear Management


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Their slopes are covered withdeciduous, mixed and coniferousforests. The highest parts are openalpine land with small shrubs.

Currently, especially in the Rila-Rodopean, the population is becom-ing more and more fragmentedbecause of increasing human devel-opment in the area. The exactdistribution of bears is not known. Itis also not known how many corri-dors between core habitats are usedby bears and where they are situated.Estimation of bear density is difficultbecause of unreliable countingmethods but probably about 400-500are in the Rila-Rodope area andabout 150-200 are in the Balkanrange area. It is not known if thepopulation of bears is currentlydecreasing or increasing.

By order of the Ministry ofEnvironment and Water, Bulgariadeclared the brown bear a protectedspecies in 1992. There were still somehunting permits issued to allowhunting of so-called “bloodthirsty”animals. These permits had to beissued by both the Ministry ofAgriculture and Forestry and theMinistry of Environment and Waterwhich still made it possible to usethe bear as a game target for interna-tional hunting tourism. Morerecently (2002) the Bulgariangovernment adopted the nationalBiodiversity Conservation Act whichchanged the status of the brown bearin Bulgaria to a totally protectedspecies and the bear was removedfrom the game species list by theHunting and Game Protection Act.This Biodiversity Conservation Actalso forces the Ministry of Environ-ment and Water to create andenforce management plans for allendangered species including brownbear. Besides this, the Bulgariangovernment has adopted interna-tional conventions and agreements

such as CITES, the Bern Convention,and the EU habitat directive 92/43EEC which, among others protect thebrown bear and its habitat.

Although the legal status of the bearis well defined, law enforcement is stilla problem which leads to illegalhunting practices. Other threats forthe Bulgarian bear population include:

• Habitat degradation due to timberindustries and firewood collection.

• Loss and fragmentation ofhabitat because of developinginfrastructure works.

• Killing of bears by local peoplebecause of damage to apiaries,orchards, field crops and livestock. Inaddition, people gathering mush-rooms, berries etc. in the forests havea negative attitude towards bearsbecause of fear of attacks.

• Illegal hunting for trophies andmeat.

• Since the removal of the bearfrom the game species list, someregional forestry units have lost asignificant source of income, andcontrary to the intentions of the law,are losing interest and motivation toprotect the bear.

• Some years ago, Carpathianbears were introduced into captivebreeding populations on huntingfarms. An unknown number ofoffpsring were released in the wildaround the farms. This could seri-ously threaten the genetic purity ofsome subpopulations.

The project’s main objectives are:1. The formation of a bear working

group which involves all the relevantstakeholders to discuss the contentsof a national brown bear manage-ment plan for Bulgaria.

2. The collection of field datarelevant to develop a sound manage-ment plan, specifically data ondistribution of the brown bearpopulation, and human attitudestowards bears.

All the different stakeholders willbe invited for an introductorymeeting at the beginning of theproject. The most important goal ofthis meeting is to create motivationand commitment among thesepartners for the drawing up of themanagement plan. Furthermore, theworking group should find consen-sus on the outline and content of themanagement plan. A neutral facilita-tor will be sought to manage thesemeetings. For the preparation of anational management plan data isneeded on population size, popula-tion trends, distribution, habitat use,mortality causes, damage being doneby bears, public attitudes towardsbears, human impact on the bearpopulation, etc. Within the proposedproject, fieldwork will focus oncollection of data on distribution ofthe brown bear population (includ-ing habitat assessment) and publicattitude towards bears (including thehuman impact on the bear popula-tion). Proposals for more fieldworkand funding will be developed.

Alertis was able to obtain funds forthis project from the Dutch Ministryof Agriculture, Nature Conservationand Fisheries under a special grantprogram for countries which willbecome members of the EU in thecoming years. Alertis has been longinvolved with in-situ conservation ofthe brown bear, welfare problemssuch as the dancing-bears of Bul-garia, and will have the final coordi-nation of the project. The fieldworkand working group meetings will beexecuted by staff of Balkani WildlifeSociety, the Institute of Zoology fromthe Bulgarian Academy of Scienceand the Environmental Educationand Research Centre of the Sofia Zoo.Jon Swenson (IBA vice president forEurasia) and Djuro Huber (IBACouncil) will act as external advisorsfor the project.

Bulgaria Bear Management, cont’d


Eurasia

Yorgos MertzanisProject CoordinatorNGO Callisto5, Nik. Foka st.54623 Thessaloniki, GreecePhone +302310/252530Email [email protected]

As stated in the August 2003newsletter (IBN 12(3):8), the imple-mentation of this project is part ofthe environmental terms andprovisions of the revised EIA studyon a highly controversial 37 kmsegment of the Egnatia Highway(total length 680 km) crossing thenorthern part of the country. Thishighway segment cuts through thePindos Mountain range, one of thestrongholds of the brown bearpopulation in Greece with a mini-mum population in the critical andadjacent areas estimated at approxi-mately 80 individuals.

After a Council of the Stateverdict issued in 1997 directing theleast environmentally costlyalignment of this highway segment(especially regarding bear popula-tions and habitat), the contractorEgnatia Odos A.E. was ordered toconduct a new EIA study for this 37km segment and to incorporateadditional mitigation measuressuch as: 13 tunnels (8.85 km), 11bridges (2.64 km), 1-2 green bridgesand 5–9 wildlife underpasses;thereby mitigating about 31% ofthe 37 km highway segment. Thetotal cost of these additionalmitigation measures (apart fromthe bridges which are not consid-ered to be part of the wildlifemitigation, since they are requiredby the topography of the align-ment) reached about 181,000,000euros. All funds have been securedand the construction of thishighway segment is scheduled tostart in summer 2005.

Greece:Monitoring Project Update on the Egnatia Highway Construction

Officially launched in February2003, this monitoring project for theimpact assessment of the highwayconstruction on large mammals(with emphasis on bears) is reachingthe end of its 2-year phase A (2003-2005). It has been conducted by 3cooperating NGOs (Arcturos, theHellenic Ornithological Society andrecently the newly founded NGOCallisto), and 2 universities(Thessaloniki and Thessaly) compris-ing 4 departments (ecology, genetics,wildlife management and forestry).The first phase of the project had atotal budget of about 880,400 eurosand has been financed by EgnatiaOdos S.A. and the EU.

The project area extends overalmost 1,000 km2 of a mixed forestand agricultural ecosystem and islocated in the northwestern part ofGreece, in the Pindos Mountainrange. This area is: 43.23% forests,31.11% meadows (pasture lands),19.47% agricultural lands, and 3.69%human settlements. Major forestvegetation types comprise oak(Quercus sp.), black pine (Pinus nigra)and beech (Fagus sp.). The area ischaracterized by a mosaic of denseforests, openings, and small scalecultivation. Altitude ranges between500 m and 2,200 m. Samplingemphasis has been given to thesector most directly influenced bythe highway construction whichcovers 160 km2: the length of thehighway segment (37 km) and a 4km wide buffer zone.

Over the 2-year bear monitoringperiod, field work has focused onsatellite telemetry combined with asystematic collection of bear signs ofpresence and activity. An additionalmonitoring protocol was developedusing thermo-sensitive, infrared andconventional pre-programmed video

and photo cameras. Data gatheredfrom these methods were used toidentify bear presence as well as bearmovement patterns and spatialbehavior compared with the high-way alignment and especially incorrelation to the location of theplanned mitigation measures.

In total, 6 adult brown bears havebeen fitted with GPS collars (4M:2F).Telemetry data have so far yielded3,300 locations, and 1,200 bear signshave been recorded during fieldsurveys. The above data have beenanalyzed in comparison to thehighway alignment in order toevaluate the effectiveness of theplanned mitigation measures.

In addition, in order to evaluatebear population parameters such assex ratio, parental relationships andgene flow in the study area, a geneticstudy using DNA analysis has beendeveloped. Three key genetic locihave been selected and identifiedfrom available genetic material takenfrom bear specimens such as hair,blood and excrement. The keygenetic loci are: 1 locus on mito-chondrial DNA (mtDNA), 8 polymor-phic loci on nuclear DNA, 1 locus ofchromosome Y (SRY).

DNA material from 28 bear hairand excrement samples were iso-lated. Genotypes of 17 unknown(random) bear DNA samples werealso defined. The next step in dataprocessing is to better identify geneflow gradient and parental relation-ship between bears from both sidesof the highway alignment.

Acknowledgments:Special thanks go to the field

team: Y. Isaak, Alex. Karamanlidis, S.Riegler, Ar. Riegler, K. Selinidis, Th.Tragos, and the volunteers: M. deGabriel Hernando, S. Dalrymple,M.L. Rubio Guillamon, C. Milcent.


Eurasia

Marta De Barba, Graduate StudentDept. of Fish and WildlifeUniversity of IdahoMoscow, ID 83844-1136, USAEmail [email protected]@uidaho.edu.

From 1999-2002, 10 Slovenian bearswere translocated into westernTrentino, and the brown bear popula-tion in the Italian Alps has increasedto 15 or 16 individuals. After onefemale died and another left the studyarea, 2 cubs were born in 2002 to thefemale Kirka, and 2 in 2003 to thefemale Maya (one was killed by aneagle in spring 2003). We observed twovery happy birth events in spring 2004that brought 5 more cubs into thepopulation: the female Jurka gavebirth to 2 cubs and the female Danizaimpressed everybody with 3 cubs! Thepresence of one translocated male hasnot been recently documented,therefore is uncertain.

We are using non-invasive geneticsampling, as part of an experimentalproject begun in 2002, to establish amonitoring program that providesdemographic and reproductiveinformation on this small alpinebrown bear population.

Based on genetic analysis conductedon the hair and scat samples collectednon-invasively in the 2003 field season,we identifed 6 translocated bears and 3of their cubs, and recognized one of thetranslocated males as the father. Webelieve we detected 70% or more of theresident population at that time.

From May through October 2004we conducted the second full fieldseason of data collection in coopera-tion with the Trento Province, theAdamello Brenta Natural Park, theTrento Hunting Association and theItalian National Wildlife Institute. Asin 2003, we evaluated differenttechniques of non-invasive geneticsampling over a total area of about

Monitoring the Brown Bearin the Italian AlpsThrough Non-invasive Genetic Sampling

650 km2: baited hair traps, signsurveys on transects, unbaited hairtraps, opportunistic collection offecal and hair samples, and sighting.Collection went very well and thenumber of samples collected doubledcompared to the 2003 field season. Wecollected 464 hair samples from baitedhair traps (Woods et al. 1999), using agrid of 4 x 4 km2 cells. We identified103 bear signs and collected 36 hairsamples and 34 fecal samples on 17survey transects. Five hair sampleswere collected from 12 unbaited hairtraps in areas where bears were knownto be present. Eighty-three hairsamples and 168 fecal samples werefound opportunistically over the rangeof distribution of the bears. All bearsighting occurrences were recorded byTrento Province.

The sampling success for the 2004field season is very encouraging. Inaddition to suggesting an increase inbear numbers in the study area, it alsoreflects a heightened awareness of theimportance of sample collection forthe project as well as the increasingexperience and knowledge of thepersonnel involved in field activities.This sample will also provide veryimportant baseline data for futurenon-invasive monitoring efforts forthis small population. This completesthe last field season of data collection,as part of the experimental project fornon-invasive genetic monitoring thebrown bear population in WesternTrentino. Based on the data collected,the local managers will face decisionsfor future monitoring planning.

We are working hard to completegenetic analysis of the 2004 samplesand anxiously awaiting the results.

Literature Cited:Woods, J.G., Paetkau, D., Lewis, D.,

McLellan, B. N., Proctor, M., Strobeck, C.1999. Genetic tagging of free-rangingblack and brown bears. Wildlife SocietyBulletin, 27(3):616-627.

Anja Schoettler, Graduate StudentZoological InstituteUniversity of HamburgRudolf-Breitscheid-Str. 7b22880 Wedel, GermanyEmail [email protected]

On November 1, 2004 the last nativePyrenean female brown bear was killed.A wild boar hunter (who could face 6months in prison and a 90,000 eurofine) shot Cannelle at close range in theWestern Pyrenees (Urdos, Aspe Valley,France). Hunters were explicitly warnedabout the bear and her cub, and therewas an agreement to discourage the huntamong the Mancomunidad de laInstitución patrimonial, the Brown BearNetwork and the Hunting Association.

Before this incident the WesternPyrenees bear population consisted of3 adult males (2 native, 1 Slovenian), 1adult native female (Cannelle), andher probably male 10 month old cub.

The Central and Eastern Pyreneeshave ~11-13 bears (including 3 females),all descendants of Slovenian bears.Analysis suggests a Slovenian male siredCannelle’s cub. If so, there are no morefemales and native Pyrenean bears aredoomed to extinction.

With plentiful autumns beechnuts,the cub might survive. Two orphanedcubs of the same age survived in theSpanish Cantabrian Mountains whenfood was abundant. To help the cubsurvive, hunting and dogs, and perhapsall people will be forbidden in the area,and vegetarian food will be provided.

Brown bears are endangered in Spainand France, but others were shotrecently. In 1994 a native female wasshot by a wild boar hunter in theWestern Pyrenees. In 1997 a female withtwo cubs was killed by a hunter in theCentral Pyrenees. Last summer >50bullets were found in a male’s body (notthe cause of death).

Thank you to Fapas (www.fapas.es)for this information.

Last Female PyreneanBrown Bear Shot


Americas

Shaenandhoa Garcia-RangelPh.D. CandidateWildlife Research GroupUniversity of CambridgeEmail [email protected]+44-1223-333753&Associate ResearcherFundacion para laDefensa de la NaturalezaFundacion AndigenaEmail [email protected] +58-212-9456316

The pilot study for “Evaluation of thedistribution, habitat selection andlandscape use of the Andean bear(Tremarctos ornatus) in Sierra dePortuguesa, Venezuelan Andes” wasconducted May-July 2004. This secondphase of the project evaluated thesampling method chosen for bear-signcensuses, and training field assistantsEugenio Gusman Pérez and AlfredoFreitez. The only remnant primary forestlinking two of Sierra de Portuguesa’sprotected areas (Terepaima and YacambúNational Parks) was selected as the studysite, given the need for information onthe species use of this area, to reinforcean on-going project focused on its legalprotection.

Two main vegetation cover categorieswere sampled: montane evergreenprimary forest (BPSvMN) and pre-montane evergreen secondary forest(BISvMB). Five transects (500 km x 10 m)were placed randomly on each vegeta-tion cover category for bear-sign census,a minimum of 800 m apart (based on aneducated guess of Andean bear dailytravel). Sampling areas were divided in100 m units to record GPS location,altitude, slope, human impact andvegetation. These units were subdividedinto 20 m segments for sign searching.

A total of 322 bear signs where found.From the total obtained, 232 bear signswere encountered on 8 of the 10transects sampled. As expected, signifi-

Sierra de Portuguesa Andean Bear Pilot Study

cant differences were obtained betweenvegetation cover categories (BPSvMN =183 signs, BISvMB=50 signs. X2 df=4α=0.05 pvalue=1.61x10-49), given thewell-known preference of the speciesfor primary and montane forest.Variance on each vegetation covercategory showed that other variablesare also modulating Andean bearlandscape use and distribution.

Five different types of signs werefound, all corresponding to previouslyrecorded indicators of Andean bearpresence: feeding signs (n=274), claw-marked trees (n=28), tracks (n=16), bittenroots (n=3) and pruning (n=1). Trailsalone were not considered a sign, sincethey are accounted for by other signtypes found there. Feces, rubbing treesand hairs were not found because fieldwork was conducted during the rainiestmonths. Despite intensive searches withbinoculars especially on claw-markedtrees, tree nests were not found. Thecanopy cover of ferns, orchids andbromeliads severely limits detection ofnests. This drawback will be consideredduring the study’s final analysis.

The number of signs encountered foreach type of sign was similar to thatfrom the exploratory phase. Feedingsigns represented more than 80% of thebear presence recorded. Differences inthis parameter are significant (X2 df= 4α=0.05, pvalue 7.4x10-185) and dependon a wide variety of factors. Rain andwind erases tracks, feces, marks onrubbing trees and hairs, but has littleeffect on feeding signs, bitten roots andclaw-marked trees. Some signs degradefaster than others and, some are gener-ated by Andean bears with a higherfrequency.

Types of signs were not evenlydistributed between vegetation types.Differences in the number of feedingsigns could be an effect of differencesin floristic composition betweenvegetation cover categories. Thus, it isnecessary to compare availability of

food resources, in order to drawconclusions on Andean bear patternsof habitat and landscape-use. From thefeeding signs found in the pilot study,245 records correspond to theAracaceae family and 29 to theBromeliaceae family. Similar to theexploratory phase, significant differ-ences were found between these fooditems, showing what appears to be ashift of the diet towards the former. Nofruit consumption was detectedbecause the fruiting season had ended.

During 2005, the third phase of theproject will be developed, performingbear-sign censuses across Sierra dePortuguesa. The results of this stagewill be included in a GIS database tomodulate the species distribution,habitat and landscape use on the thirdlevel of selection. Finally, for thefourth phase of the project, vegetationplots will be combined with bear signcensuses to evaluate Andean bearfourth-level of selection and validatethe model produced (Van Manen pers.comm., 2004).

This project is a Ph.D. thesis of theWildlife Research Group, University ofCambridge, UK. It is part of the AndesProgram of Fundación para la Defensa deNaturaleza (FUDENA) and Andean BearProject of Fundación Andígena, Venezu-ela. It is supported by the UniversidadSimón BolÌvar, FRECOPAL, FrenteEcológico Cubiro, Guardianes deTerepaima, and funded by FundaciónGran Mariscal de Ayacucho, TheInternational Association for BearResearch and Management, IDEAWild,The Scott Neotropical Fund of theCleveland Metroparks Zoo, Iniciativapara Especies Amenazadas (IEA)-PROVITA, The Pittsburgh Zoo and PPGAquarium, and The Rufford Small Grantfor Nature Conservation.

References:Editor’s note: space limitations

prevented including references.Please contact the author for details.


Americas

Robert J. GauWildlife and Fisheries DivisionDepartment of Resources, Wildlifeand Economic DevelopmentGovernment of the Northwest Territories#600 5102-50th AvenueYellowknife, NT, X1A 3S8, CanadaPhone (867) 920-6316Fax (867) 873-0293Email [email protected]

After prospectors followed a trail ofdiamond indicator minerals to the Lacde Gras area of the Northwest Territories(NWT), the first diamonds were discov-ered sparking the NWT “diamond rush”in 1991. This was the largest mineralstaking rush in North American historyand led to the discovery of dozens ofdiamondiferous kimberlite pipescontaining high grades of diamonds inthe central Canadian Arctic. In late 1994,partially in response to the advanceddiamond exploration programs in theLac de Gras area, a team of researchersbegan planning a multi-faceted researchprogram into the ecology of barren-ground grizzly bears across the centralArctic.

Sometime in early 1995 a femalegrizzly bear was born in a den with twomale siblings near the Lac de Gras area.In May, one day after being introducedto the world outside the confines of hermother’s den, I captured all 4 bears. Thelittle female cub was tagged G608 andher mother was fitted with a satellite/VHF radio collar.

Over 1995 and 1996 I learned G608’smother, captured at 19 years of age, wasthe matriarch of the area as her homerange encompassed at least 4 otherknown females. G608 continued to growfrom her initial 6 kg weight and shequickly developed while she vigorouslyinteracted with her male siblings. InSeptember 1996 I removed the collarfrom G608’s mother.

In late 1996, the diamond projectnorth of Lac de Gras (the Ekati™

The Life History of an ExtraordinaryFemale Barren-ground Grizzly Bear

Diamond Mine) received final approvalfor production from the Government ofCanada. Construction activities atEkati™ began in earnest in 1997 and themine officially opened in 1998. Whileproduction was underway at Ekati™ in1999, the Government of Canadaapproved the nearby Diavik™ DiamondMines project. Also, Ekati™ was approxi-mately half finished with construction ofa 28 km all-weather haul road to anotherof its kimberlite pipes just 10 km fromthe Diavik™ project.

In 2000, the two Lac de Gras diamondmines were in production, and numer-ous base-metal, gold, and other diamonddevelopments existed in the region.However, it remained unclear whatimpact this activity had on wildlife,especially grizzly bears. To help addressthis shortfall I was involved with aprogram that deployed GPS radio-collars(Televilt/TVP Positioning AB, Lindesberg,Sweden) on adult female grizzly bearswithin a 40 km area surrounding thediamond mining activities. The goal wasto examine bear movements before,during, and after road construction andprovide insight into how bears in thearea responded to habitat perturbation,linear disturbances, and traffic. As aresult of this effort, G608 was capturedwithin the search area each year from2000 through 2003. However, incidentalto the primary research objectives, Iobtained data on some large-scalemovements for G608.

The GPS collar in 2000 was deployedJune 5 and automatically releasedOctober 10. In 2001, collar deploymentwas May 25 and G608 entered her denfor the last time that season on Novem-ber 4. She came out of her den May 10,2002, and her collar automaticallyreleased October 7. In 2003, the finalcollar deployment was on May 19.

We recovered 9,086 locations forG608 between 2000 and 2003 foranalyses. Home range estimates for 2000,2001, and 2002 were 20,364 km2 (128

locations), 21,088 km2 (164 locations),and 1,269 km2 (121 locations), respec-tively (we only used one location/dayand the 95% isopleth to measure kernelhome ranges via the ArcView GISextension Animal Movement). Only 26daily locations were extracted from the2003 data so home range was notcalculated. To put this into perspective,the combined area of Connecticut andRhode Island is roughly 18,360 km2.

We captured G608 in the accompani-ment of an adult male each yearbetween 2000-2002. In 2003, at 8 yearsold, I observed G608 just after denemergence with 2 cubs-of-the-year onMay 16. However, at her May 19 captureshe had either lost or abandoned hercubs. As with each other capture event,she appeared in good physical conditionin 2003 and it was unknown why shelost her cubs in the days prior to hercapture. The next scheduled visualrelocation of G608 was July 14, 2003. Atthat time I found G608’s remains cachedin a style typical of a grizzly bear kill (theearth was churned-up in the immediatearea) and grizzly bear scat with grizzlybear fur was present. From the hourlydata pulled from her GPS collar, itappeared something happened to her onJune 11 or 12 and the collar remainedstationary from June 13 onward. The killsite was heavily willowed with a streamrunning through the middle feeding asmall lake. The only thing left of hercarcass were small bones and many tuftsof fur. A piece of femur I found looked tohave a healthy amount of marrow in it.The collar was found about 20 m fromthe kill site, and a debris field of fur andpartial bones surrounded a 10 m areaaround the kill site. A pile of recentlycleaned caribou bones were found alsowithin 30 m of the G608’s kill site. I canonly speculate that she may have beenkilled while defending her caribou killagainst a larger bear, or perhaps sheattempted and failed to usurp anotherbear’s kill.


Americas

Dean CluffResources, Wildlife andEconomic DevelopmentNorth Slave RegionGovernment of theNorthwest TerritoriesYellowknife, NT X1A 2P9, CanadaEmail [email protected]

A 220-kg male barren-groundgrizzly bear was killed in Yellowknifeon 18 November 2004. This was thefirst recorded occurrence of a grizzlybear near the city (population18,000) and was unusual for asighting this far (170 km) from thetundra. Indeed, an 85 year-old Deneelder from the nearby community ofDetah does not recall ever hearing ofa grizzly bear in the area.The bearwas shot by wildlife officers pursuingthe animal at the outskirts of thecity. The bear was sighted theprevious night near Detah and againthe following morning when thebear then crossed the ice ofYellowknife Bay of Great Slave Laketowards Yellowknife. Wildlifeofficers then intercepted its tracksalong the city’s lakeshore. Whenencountered, the bear charged theofficers from about 10 m, which ledto its shooting.

A necropsy of the bear revealedabout 1 cm of back fat and insuffi-cient to take it through the winter.Cysts, possibly from pneumonia,were discovered on the lungs andseveral porcupine quills observed onone of its legs and the side of his facehad become infected. Tooth wear washeavy and a small pre-molar wasextracted for subsequent aging bycementum analysis.

The grizzly bear presumablyfollowed the migratory barren-ground caribou south beyond thetree-line as caribou made their way

Subadult male grizzly bear (3-5 yearsof age) movements have been noted toexhibit periods of long-range (>200 km)linear directional forays (see Gau et al.2004). However of the 229 barren-ground grizzlies the Government of theNWT has handled since 1988, G608 hasbeen the only female known to exhibitextraordinary periods of linear long-range movement patterns. In 2000,G608 went on a 1,792 km round-triptrek between June 20 and October 10 toan area 240 km to the east of her originalcapture and back again. In 2001, shewent on a 1,541 km circular round-triptrek between July 1 and September 30moving 160 km to the north thenclockwise to an area 200 km to thesoutheast until she returned to heroriginal capture area. To put this intoperspective, again, a trip from SanDiego to San Francisco and back to SanDiego is roughly 1,615 km. Finally in2002, G608 went on a 150 km trekbetween July 14 and July 22 to an area56 km to the north.

The annual ranges of adult andsubadult barren-ground grizzly bears inthe central Canadian Arctic remain thelargest ranges reported for grizzlies inNorth America (see Table 1, McLoughlinet al. 1999). However, the unique featureof G608’s movements was their occa-sional linear directionality, a trait sharedwith subadult males in the region, albeitthe magnitude of G608’s movements in2000 and 2001 eclipse those of any otherbear ever collared in the region.

Literature Cited:Gau, R.J., McLoughlin, P.D., Case,

R., Cluff, H.D., Mulders, R., andMessier, F. 2004. Movements ofsubadult male grizzly bears, Ursusarctos, in the central Canadian Arctic.Canadian Field-Naturalist 118:in press.

McLoughlin, P.D., Case, R.L., Gau,R.J., Ferguson, S., and Messier, F. 1999.Annual and seasonal movementpatterns of barren-ground grizzly bearsin the central Northwest Territories.Ursus 11:79-86.

to their winter range. In earlyNovember, sightings of large beartracks were first reported 70 km eastof Yellowknife on the Ingraham Trailbut it was uncertain then if thetracks were from a grizzly bear or alarge American black bear. However,on 7 November, sightings of a browncolored bear with a hump werereported along the Trail but nowabout 50 km east of Yellowknife. Noother sightings of bears have beenreported since this grizzly bear wasshot in Yellowknife. Consequently, itis likely that these sightings were ofthis bear as it moved towards the citywhile searching for food.

Barren-ground grizzly bears dooccupy a narrow band south of thetree-line but sightings farther southare rare. Grizzly bears have been seenregularly in the community ofWekweti about 30 km from thetundra. Other sightings of grizzlybears within the boreal forest includethe Fort Reliance area and the nowclosed Colomac mine site, about 25and 70 km respectively from thetundra. On 24 May 2003, Rob Gauand I observed grizzly bear tracks atan unoccupied mining camp at theheadwaters of the McCrea River, 45km south of the tree-line. In June1997, a young male barren-groundgrizzly bear was shot near Gameti,about 185 km from the tundra.Although the Gameti andYellowknife incidences represent thefarthest reported distances of barren-ground grizzly bears within theboreal forest, they are consistentwith these bears following theBathurst caribou herd to winterranges in late fall.

Barren-ground Grizzly BearShot in Yellowknife, NWT


Americas

Southwest USA news provided by:Charity Kraft-BartoskewitzTexas A&M University-KingsvilleCaesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Inst.700 University Blvd., MSC 218Kingsville, TX 78363, USAEmail [email protected]

Revising ManagementStrategies in ArizonaStan CunninghamResearch BranchArizona Game and Fish Department2221 W. Greenway Rd.Phoenix, Arizona 85023, USAPhone (602) 789-3661Email [email protected]

Recently, the Arizona Game andFish Department completed an in-depth review process of the manage-ment and research needs for allcarnivore species. With respect toAmerican black bears, the currentharvest system in which the numberof females killed in a geographic arealimits hunting opportunities appearsto be providing a sufficient amount

Southwest USA

Central USA and Canada newsprovided by:Pam CoyMinnesota Dept. of Natural Re-sourcesForest Wildlife Populations andResearch Group1201 East Highway 2Grand Rapids, MN 55744, USAPhone (218) 327-4159Fax (218) 327-4181Email [email protected]

OntarioInformation provided byMartyn ObbardEmail [email protected] Hudson BayPolar Bear Projects

We completed the second year of a3-year mark-recapture inventory infall 2004. This work is funded byseveral partners and is being con-ducted concurrently with a 3-yearmark-recapture inventory of theWestern Hudson Bay populationcarried out by Nick Lunn and IanStirling of the Canadian WildlifeService. So, we are jointly handlingpolar bears all the way from north ofChurchill, Manitoba to the shores ofJames Bay in Ontario — over 1,100km of coastline plus the associatedinland areas. We hope to have newpopulation estimates for bothpopulations available by 2006.

In October 2004, Master of Sciencestudent Ashleigh Crompton of TrentUniversity, Peterborough, Ontariosuccessfully defended her thesis: “Agenetic assignment of the populationstructure of polar bears (Ursusmaritimus) in the greater Hudson Bayecosystem.”

Master of Science student JasonHamilton of the University ofWaterloo started his research inSeptember 2004. Jason is assessingphysiological indicators of chronicstress in polar bears that might be

Central Canada

useful to monitor changes in envi-ronmental stress in polar bears andother bear species. Jason is super-vised by Dr. Matt Vijayan of theUniversity of Waterloo.American Black Bear Projects

Two projects that have been amajor research emphasis for the pastseveral years are wrapping up. Masterof Science student Melissa Coady ofTrent University intends to submither thesis “Habitat use by Americanblack bears of an isolated populationon the Bruce Peninsula, Ontario” byMarch 2005, and Karen Mills,another M.Sc. student at TrentUniversity, also intends to submither thesis “Genetic analysis of theblack bear in Ontario” by March2005.

ManitobaBlack Bear-human ConflictsInformation provided byHank HristienkoEmail [email protected]

In 2002, Manitoba introduced astandardized system for reportingAmerican black bear/human con-flicts. Recreational areas (developed/built-up areas that may have semi-permanent and/or seasonal resi-dences, hospitality industry, camp-grounds or day-use facilities) havebeen identified as the primarylocations (42%) for nuisance activity.This compares to 33% in residentialareas (permanent residences intowns, cities, or acreages) and 25% inagricultural or remote/undevelopedlocations. Within recreational areas,garbage contributes 38% to theproblem, while bird feeders accountfor a sizable 36% and bears feedingon acorns and natural or plantedfruit trees accounts for another 23%.The remaining 3% is comprised ofbarbecues, gardens, composting andpet food.

Manitoba Conservation (MC)currently spends over 4,500 hoursand $125,000 each year respondingto bear complaints. Since 1995, MChas averaged 1,460 complaints a year(range 700-2,200), relocated around200 bears and lethally removed 110animals. The public destroys at leastan equal number of bears. Thirty-three percent of the complaints areincidental sightings requiring noaction. Manitoba Agriculture, Foodand Rural Initiatives spends another$118,000 to $429,000 a year incompensation claims for beardamage to agricultural produce.


AmericasAmerican Black BearHibernating in Bald Eagle Nest

of recreation while maintaining, ifnot increasing, population densities.The department hopes to startmodeling bear populations based onblocks of similar habitat, rather thanthe state as a whole. Research needsand priorities included 1) determin-ing the impact of forest restoration(thinning) on black bear habitatquality and populations, 2) analyzinga cost efficient survey system basedon vegetation types rather thanspecific game management units, 3)using GIS to better estimate andidentify black bear habitat, and 4)testing of translocation proceduresfor nuisance bears.

New Mexico TidbitsRick WinslowLarge Carnivore BiologistNew Mexico Dept. of Game and FishPO Box 25112Santa Fe, New Mexico87504, USAPhone (505) 268-6347Email [email protected]

In 2004 the zone managementsystem for the harvest of Americanblack bears was initiated. The overallharvest numbers were fairly smallwith only 2 of 6 zones reaching theirlimits fairly late in the season.Overall the new system appears tohave worked smoothly. Because ofexcellent mast crops statewide thebears were not concentrated on mastsources during the fall huntingseasons and the harvest was light.With the moisture we are receivingthis winter it looks like some of theeffects of the drought appear to bereceding. There were very fewcomplaints about nuisance bears incomparison to the last five years.

© R

uss

Sm

ith

American black bear denning in bald eagle nest.

Margaret Ludwig HeinoBlack Bear Research ProjectUniversity of Wisconsin-Stevens Point41853 Co. Hwy. EMason, Wisconsin 54856, USAPhone (715) 278-3365

Russ Smith and JenniferEhrlichman, Hayward, Wisconsin,USA, observed an American blackbear hibernating in a bald eagle’snest on 1 January 2004, at whichtime Smith video-taped and photo-graphed the bear in the nest-den.Smith took me, along with JerryHeino and Bruce Prentice, to the site(located adjacent to the ChippewaFlowage, Town of Hunter, SawyerCounty, Wisconsin) on 3 March 2004to document the observation. Untilthen, Smith and Ehrlichman kept theinformation about the eagle’s nest-den quiet. The eagle’s nest was in anaspen, 45 feet high, adjacent to a

well-used snowmobile trail 300 yardsfrom a resort. We estimated the bearto weigh 175-200 lbs. While there, itwas noted that an adult bald eaglewas perched approximately 25 feetaway, viewing the nest. Two otheradult bald eagles were nearby. Soonafterwards the news of a black beardenning in an eagle’s nest spreadrapidly and the site was heavilyvisited by the public and the media. Ikept in contact with Smith andEhrlichman and was advised byEhrlichman on 28 March 2004 thatsometime after dark the evening of27 March 2004, the bear left the nest,leaving half of the nest on theground. Smith followed the tracks ashort distance and it appeared thebear suffered no injury. This was thefirst observation, to my knowledge,of a black bear hibernating in aneagle’s nest in Wisconsin duringalmost 20 years of black bear re-search conducted by the Universityof Wisconsin-Stevens Point inWisconsin.


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[Reprinted from Star-Ledger October8, 2004, by Brian T. Murray, used bypermission.]

American black bears at the SixFlags Wild Safari in Jackson will beguinea pigs for two birth controlexperiments as New Jersey authori-ties explore methods beyond hunt-ing to reduce the booming bruinpopulation (see next article).

Department of EnvironmentalProtection Commissioner BradleyCampbell said that some of the testsare to begin October 19, 2004.

The first experiment will beconducted as state officials continuesparring over whether to launchanother bear hunt this year follow-ing last year’s in which 328 bruinswere shot.

The Humane Society of the UnitedStates, one of the nation’s largestanimal rights groups, will spearheadthe first experiment at the Jacksonanimal park. October 19-21, veteri-narians will inject several femalebears with PZP an organic serumonce tested on bears at a SouthDakota zoo.

The second test, which has no setstartup date, involves male bears anda more controversial chemicalcastration agent, Neutersol, whichhas only been federally approved foruse on domestic dogs. Vinelandveterinarian Gordon Stull, a memberof the Association of Veterinarians forAnimal Rights, is leading that project.

“This is a long-term project, as faras PZP and the Humane Society isinvolved. Nothing is going to beknown for a while. Bears’ reproduc-tive systems are very complicated,”said Allen Rutberg, humane societyresearcher and clinical assistantprofessor at the Tufts UniversitySchool of Veterinary Medicine.

PZP involves tissue harvested fromdead pigs. Previous tests have shown

[Reprinted from The New York Times,December 3, 2004, by John Holl.]

Two weeks after a lower court orderedthe New Jersey Department of Environ-mental Protection to issue permits for abear hunt to begin Monday, the NewJersey Supreme Court struck down thedecision yesterday, effectively cancelingwhat would have been the state’s secondAmerican black bear hunt in 2 years.

Earlier this year, the state’s Fishand Game Council, whose membersare appointed by the governor, votedto hold a 6-day hunt beginningDecember 6, 2004. But Bradley M.Campbell, the department commis-sioner, ordered his agency’s Divisionof Fish and Wildlife not to grant bearhunting permits and closed alldepartment land to bear hunting.

In its unanimous order yesterday,the Supreme Court said that in lightof the dispute between Campbell andthe council, no hunt could take placeuntil the state adopts a comprehen-sive bear management policy.

Two weeks ago, the AppellateDivision of New Jersey Superior

New JerseyBear Contraception

Court Decides: NoNew Jersey Bear Hunt

that when PZP is injected into somemammals, their bodies naturallytreat it as a foreign invader, creatingantibodies that attach to females’eggs and act like armor. Sperm entryis blocked.

Past tests with deer, horses andelephants have been successful. Thedrug also worked on 25 captive bearsat the Bear Country USA wildlifepark in South Dakota, although alack of strict monitoring in that 2001study caused some biologists toquestion the results.

Court ruled that Campbell over-stepped his authority when herefused to issue permits, and itordered the department to beginprocessing hunting licenses. Morethan 3,700 permits had been issuedby yesterday afternoon.

Campbell said he was pleased withyesterday’s Supreme Court’s rulingand said he would work with theFish and Game Council to prepare abear policy.

Anthony Cali, one of the huntersinvolved in the lawsuit against thestate, said he was disappointed byyesterday’s ruling and believed thatpolitics won out over science in thecourt’s decision.

“We assumed the law would be onour side,” Cali said, “but it looks likepolitics ruled, and it’s disappointingbecause there are a lot of hunters,myself included, who put a lot oftime into preparing for the hunt andwill now have to wait another year,or longer, to try our luck. But thecommissioner wanted to stop thehunt, and he did.”

W. Scott Ellis, chair of the Fish andGame Council, said he blamesCampbell for canceling the hunt,saying it was he who “decided to notact on the advice of the council tocontrol the population and insteaddecided to play politics. If there is anydamage or injury caused by black bearsin the state, Mr. Campbell is the soleperson who should shoulder theresponsibility, because he is the reasonbears will be around,”

Campbell, who supported lastyear’s hunt, in which 328 bears werekilled, said the state would rely onpublic awareness and experimentalcontraceptive programs to controlthe bear population (see previousarticle), which he said is around1,600. Several independent studieshave estimated the number at closerto 3,200.


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Southeast USA news provided by:Thomas Eason, ChiefBureau of WildlifeDiversity and ConservationFlorida Fish and WildlifeConservation CommissionBryant Building, 620 S. Meridian StreetTallahasse, FL 32399-1600, USAPhone (850) 413-7379Fax (850) 921-1847Email [email protected]

Florida Nuisance Research

By Stephanie SimekThe University of Florida and the

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conserva-tion Commission (FWC) are cooper-ating on research designed todetermine movement patterns andfates of relocated nuisance Americanblack bears in central Florida. Thisstudy seeks to assess the ability topredict the potential success rate ofrelocated individual bears, based onsex, age, density of existing popula-tions, and distance of relocation.Graduate student, Kim Annis,directed by Mel Sunquist has radio-instrumented 13 bears (9M,4F) fromcentral and southern Florida thatwere captured by FWC as a result ofnuisance activity and relocated toOcala National Forest. One bear hasbeen euthanized as a result of repeatnuisance behavior and 8 are cur-rently being monitored. This studywill provide FWC with recommenda-tions that will aid FWC in its effortsto manage bears in a increasinglyhuman-dominated landscape.

Central GeorgiaBlack Bear Population:Habitat and PopulationModeling andBehavioral Ecology

Kacy CookM.S. Graduate Research AssistantEmail [email protected]&Jamie SkvarlaPh.D. Graduate Research AssistantEmail [email protected] School of Forest ResourcesUniversity of GeorgiaAthens, GA 30602, USAPhone (706) 542-5260&Scott McDonaldEmail [email protected]&Jeff BewsherGeorgia Dept. of Natural ResourcesWildlife Resources Division1014 Martin Luther King Blvd.Fort Valley, GA 31030, USAPhone (478) 825-6354&Michael J. ConroyGeorgia Fish and WildlifeCooperative Research UnitWarnell School of Forest ResourcesUniversity of GeorgiaAthens, GA 30602, USAPhone (706) 542-1167Email [email protected]

The central Georgia Americanblack bear population (CGP) (Ursusamericanus) is one of three distinctpopulations in Georgia and isclassified as a game species, with aone-day hunting season. The CGPrange is likely isolated from thenorthern and southern populations.It borders Macon, Georgia to thesouth and east over approximately1,200 km2 of loblolly pine planta-tions interspersed with bottomland

Florida Population Study

Submitted by Dave MaehrResearchers at the University of

Kentucky (Wade Ulrey, Joe Guthrie,and Dave Maehr) have captured 22American black bears since May 2004in Highlands County, Florida as partof a feasibility study of this smallpopulation. The habitat available tothese bears is fragmented by roads,agriculture, and human activity. Thedata from the 20 bears instrumentedthus far suggest the existence of 3areas of concentration — principallylarge patches of forest associatedwith protected conservation landsand large cattle ranches. GPS collarshave been deployed on about half ofthe sample to provide details onmovements between forest patches,and behavior near highways andother human infrastructure. Inaddition to the University of Ken-tucky, the project has receivedsupport from the Disney WildlifeConservation Fund, the Florida Fishand Wildlife Conservation Commis-sion, Archbold Biological Station,and several key land owners in thearea. Although previous research byJeremy Dixon (University of Florida)revealed that the population hasreduced genetic variability, the sexand ages of study animals suggesthealthy demographics.

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Annual Spring Summer Fall Winter

Females (n) 11.2 (7) 7.5 (8) 7.1 (8) 14.7 (9)SE 5.1 5.7 2.7 11.7Males (n) 193.8 (9) 40.7 (11) 49.8 (13) 89.9 (10) 35.0 (10)SE 58.7 22.4 11.2 26.1 20

Central GeorgiaBlack Bear Population,cont’d.

and patchy upland hardwood forests,and agriculture. It runs along theOcmulgee River swamp and extendseast toward the Oconee River,bordered to the south by agriculture.The OakyWoods andOcmulgeeWildlifeManage-ment Areas(WMAs)comprising48,000acres ofmostlyprivatepineplanta-tions, offerthe onlyuplandsthat areuninhab-ited bypeople.Recentlyalmost35,000acres of these WMAs were sold fortimber management, housing andother potential development. Due tothe private and diverse nature ofland tenure, population and habitatmodeling are paramount to CGPmanagement.

The CGP research project has beenongoing since May 2003. It is a 4-year effort between the GeorgiaDepartment of Natural Resources(DNR) and the University of Georgiato study behavioral and populationecology, and to model habitat forland use planning and habitatmanagement. Field work for KacyCook’s Master’s thesis on habitat

modeling and behavioral ecologywas completed May 2003-August2004. Jamie Skvarla is working onher Ph.D. research concerningpopulation modeling.

The Georgia DNR trapped bearsusing Fremont foot snares April-August of 2003 and 2004. Trappingwithin the WMAs in 2003 resulted in1,413 trap days and the capture of 29adult bears (M19, F10, 1 cub, 1juvenile ). There were 2 recaptures(M1, F1) and 2 trap mortalities. In2004, 19 new bears (13M, 6F) werecaptured with 7 recaptures (4M, 3F)and 1 trap mortality. Average weightwas 129 lbs (n=16, SE=9) for females

and 219 lbs(n=31, SE=23)for males.Mean age for2003 captureswas 8 yrs.(n=10, SE =1.2) forfemales and 5yrs. (n=18,SE=0.5) formales.HabitatModeling &BehavioralEcology

Data werecollected bytelemetry on9 females (2with cubs ofthe year) and14 males

trapped in 2003, collared with VHFand 4 GPS collars (Advanced Telem-etry Systems, Izanti, MN, USA). TwoGPS collars would not remote-releaseand were not recovered. A total of3,023 locations were made over the24 diel cycle, averaging 3 locationsper bear per week.

Habitat Modeling: Our goalsregarding habitat modeling are toconstruct and validate hierarchicalmodels based on location and homerange habitat, and to incorporatesources of uncertainty in modelsbased on presence only data. Weincorporated telemetry error inlocations and are constructing

Table 1. Annual and seasonal home ranges sizes (km2) for American black bearsin central Georgia, USA, from May 2003 to August 2004. Estimates are based on a95% fixed kernel.

Southeast USA, cont’d.

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models using MCMC techniques. Weused telemetry error (sd=12.2 deg.) ina SAS program to generate 200normal, random points per location.We used these point sets to estimatehabitat use in a GIS using ArcView3.2 (ESRI 1998, Kenow et al. 2001).The 1998 Georgia GAP map (Krameret al. 2003) was updated with 2001satellite images to derive habitatvariables.

Behavioral Ecology: Home rangesizes were estimated with a 95%fixed kernel using the AnimalMovement Extension (Hooge 1999).Male average annual home rangeswere almost 20 times larger thanfemale ranges (Table 1). Male samplesize was reduced because those above250 lbs. tended to drop collarsearlier, a phenomenon reported inother studies (M. Vaughan pers.comm.). However, we were able totrack all but one bear over 250 lb. for4 months or more and found thatannual home ranges of older, heaviermales, were markedly larger (up to575 km2), a trend also observed forfemales. Home ranges followed theforested Ocmulgee River. Some malestraversed 70 km along the river andheavily forested tributaries. Fivemales made movements to agricul-tural areas in late fall. Femalesshifted activity centers and seemedto cross highways more during fall.Seasonal home range estimates werebased on at least 15 locations;seasons were determined from bearscat analysis. Spring was from denemergence (females), or April 1(males), to June 15, when blackberryand plums were dominant in scat.Summer was June 16-August 30,when greenbrier, pokeweed andmuscadine grapes were additionallydetected in scat. Fall was September 1to den entrance (females), or Decem-ber 31 (males), when acorns wereavailable and scat consisted mostly

of persimmon. Fall home ranges werealmost twice as large as spring andsummer ranges (Table 1). Malewinter ranges were small due toapparent temporary denning.Females denned 1-4 months, enter-ing December 21-February 20 andemerging by May 6.Population Modeling

The objectives of this componentof the study are to estimate popula-tion parameters (abundance, sur-vival, movement and reproduction),construct models for predictingviability, and to assess impacts ofalternative harvest, habitat manage-ment policies, and increased devel-opment in the area. Current effortsinclude estimating abundance usingmark-recapture markers (physicalcaptures, camera “trapping”, andgenetic markers). Trapping webdesigns (Anderson et al. 1983) areused to place hair snares and digitalcameras on the WMAs for collectionof hair and photographs. Trappingwebs are monitored for radio-collared bears for detection probabil-ity estimates.

A 1-month pilot study (fall 2003)was conducted on one web toestablish protocols for hair snaresand camera traps and yielded 134hair samples. One sampling season(end of May-December 2004)resulted in 796 hair samples over 9trapping webs in the WMAs. Hairsamples do not directly correlate toindividual bears and likely willinclude recaptures. DNA analysis ispending. Digital pictures andtelemetry data from trapping websare currently being analyzed toestimate detectability.

We are analyzing DNA samples atthe University of Georgia. DNA fromhair of 15 radio-collared bears out of48 known bears has been extracted,and yields are comparable to othermark-recapture studies with hair

samples. Eight microsatellite markerspreviously developed by Paetkau andStrobeck (1994) and Paetkau et al.(1995) will be used for individualidentification. DNA from bloodsamples from 5 radio-collaredindividuals has been extracted to: 1)determine if the genetic markers aresatisfactory for this population, 2)develop a protocol for PCR, 3)validate genetic sequences betweenhair and blood samples.

Literature CitedAnderson, D.R., Burnham, K.P.,

White, G.C., and Otis, D.L. 1983.Density estimation of small-mammalpopulations using a trapping weband distance sampling methods.Ecology 64:674-680.

ESRI. 1998. ArcView 3.2. Environ-mental Systems Research Institute,Inc., Redlands California, USA.

Hooge, P.N., W. Eichenlaub, and E.Solomon. 1999. The animal movementprogram. USGS, Alaska BiologicalScience Center.

Kenow, K.P., R.G. Wright, M.D.Samuel, and P.W. Rasmussen. 2001.Integrating SAS and GIS Software toImprove Habitat-Use Estimates FromRadiotelemetry Data. Wildlife SocietyBulletin 29, no. 3:1006-1009.

Kramer, E.A., M.J. Conroy, M.J.Elliott, W. Bumback, and E. Ander-son. 2003. The Georgia Gap AnalysisProject: Final Report. Athens, GA,University of Georgia Institute ofEcology.

Paetkau, D. and C. Strobeck. 1994.Microsatellite analysis of geneticvariation in black bear populations.Molecular Ecology 3: 489-495.

Paetkau, D., W. Calvert, I. Stirling,and C. Strobeck. 1995. Microsatelliteanalysis of population structure inCanadian polar bears. MolecularEcology 4:347-354.


Captive Bears

Susan EuingEmail [email protected]

During my 21 year career as azookeeper in San Diego, I cared formany animals. Occasionally, aftersome of my charges were moved toother locations, I have been able tovisit them.

Last September, as I was leading atour through China, one of my stopswas the the home of the giantpandas, Wolong Nature Reserve,northwest of Chengdu, in SichuanProvince. They have well over 60pandas, including 7 yearlings, and 6neonates from 2004. There was onefemale adult I was ecstatic to visitbecause I helped raise her in SanDiego, and she and I had a very closerapport. Hua Mei is first U.S.-bornpanda to survive to adulthood. Asrequired by the zoo’s contract withthe Chinese Government, the SanDiego Zoo was given 2 adult giantpandas for a period of 12 years, andany offspring were to be sent toChina when they reached 3 years ofage. Hua Mei was sent to Wolong inFebruary 2004 at the age of 4.5 years(her shipment was delayed by 18

months dueto the SARSepidemic inChina).

In SanDiego, wepreparedHua Mei forthe ship-ment bytraining herto enter hershippingcrate,feeding her in the crate and encour-aging her to spend increasingamounts of time in it. The objectivewas for her to be very comfortablewith the crate, allowing us to closethe door and move her around in thecrate without fear or stress. We alsoslowly shifted her diet to what theChinese feed their pandas inWolong. Both processes occurredover a month’s time to ease Hua Meiinto the changes. She adjusted verywell, and was shipped to Wolong onFebruary 11, 2004 without incidentor trauma.

I arrived in Wolong a few daysbefore my tour began so that I could

have apersonalvisit withHua Mei.TheChinesehadintroducedHua Mei toa maleduring lastspring’sbreedingseason.Theymatednaturally,but it was

Full Circle in China

not known for certain if she waspregnant. That was until September1, 2004, when Hua Mei gave birth to2 healthy male cubs.

The Chinese staff, many of whomI have known through the years ofworking with the giant pandas,allowed me to visit her on September10, and to see the cubs, both ofwhom were in incubators and beinghand-fed. Apparently, Hua Mei —being a first-time mother — didn’tquite know how to hold her off-spring in the proper nursing posi-tion. After the cubs were fattenedover several days, the Chinesekeepers began returning 1 cub at atime to Hua Mei, and placing the cubon her nipple. Gradually she learnedto care for the cubs and is nowraising each cub half of the time.Each cub is being alternately hand-fed and mother-fed. It is typical for agiant panda female to give birth totwins, select one to raise and rejectthe other. The Chinese have foundthat they are able to trade cubs withthe female, and she then cares forboth of them in this manner.

I was thrilled to see the panda cubthat I had known and watched growup in San Diego having her owncubs. For me as a keeper, it all cametogether, full circle.

Susan Euing with Hua Mei at Wolong Nature Reserve, China.

One of Hua Mei’s two cubs in an incubator.

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Rohan A. PierisYoung Zoologists AssociationEmail [email protected]&K.D. Chaminda, Bear KeeperColombo Zoo, Sri Lanka&Shyamala RatnayekeDept. Forestry, Wildlife and FisheriesUniversity of TennesseeKnoxville, TN 37876, USAEmail [email protected]

The Colombo Zoo in SriLanka had the first success-ful birth of 2 sloth bearcubs, born on August 11,2003. Previous sloth bearbirths were unsuccessful,possibly because parturi-tion times were unantici-pated, and the pregnantfemale was not isolatedfrom other bears. Themother of the cubs gavebirth to her first cub lastyear in September in anenclosure with at least 3other adult bears. Shedisplayed signs of agita-tion, pacing the enclosurecarrying the cub in hermouth until zoo veterinar-ians eventually took thecub and attempted tohand raise it. Zoo veteri-narians then contacted usabout births of sloth bearsin the wild. Delayedimplantation is reported insloth bears, so anticipatingthe precise time of parturi-tion may be difficult.Based on studies in Nepal,we suggested that slothbear females approachingparturition, possibly 5-6months post-mating,might reduce food intakeor cease to feed a few

First Successful Sloth Bear Birth at Colombo Zoo, Sri Lanka

weeks before giving birth, at whichtime they should be isolated fromother bears and the public. ThomasSpady at the San Diego Zoo, USA alsorecommended isolating the female,and keeping the enclosure as free aspossible from the stimuli of otherbears and humans.

In mid-July, zoo staff noted theprospective mother was eating lessand moved her out of an enclosureshared with several other sloth bears.With the limited facilities at the zoo,they were only able to provide thefemale a 10 x 10 ft enclosure,connected to an 8 x 7 ft chamberabout 5 m from the main sloth bear

exhibit. Allopenings to theexterior wereshielded withdark tarpaulins tohide the bearfrom public view.Roughly 2 weekslater, the femalegave birth to 2cubs. The cubsopened their eyesfor the first timeon September 22,and by then hadwell developedcoats. By Septem-ber 30, the femalestarted eating andthe cubs werebeginning to walkabout the enclo-sure. On October12, the cubs werefirst seen riding ontheir mother’sback, and wereeating solid foodby October 31.Thanks to thetimely action ofthe Colombo Zoostaff, and informa-tion from ThomasSpady and hiscolleagues at theSan Diego zoo,mother and cubsare currentlyreported to behealthy and active.Sloth bear female with two cubs, Colombo Zoo, Sri Lanka.

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Andrés E. Bracho S.Red Tremarctos CoordinatorPrograma de Estudios para GraduadosFacultad de Ciencias. VeterinariasUniversidad del ZuliaMaracaibo, VenezuelaPhone +58-416-3676814Email [email protected]

In 1997, when I was working asgeneral curator of Gustavo RiveraZoo in Venezuela, I received a callfrom the director of Parke Tropikal, azoo located on Curacao Island in theCaribbean Sea north of Venezuelathat belongs to The Netherlands. Thezoo was seeking a health, nutritionand management advisor. Thisrequest motivated my first visit tothe island where I met a group of 4bears that captured my heart, brainand time for almost 6 years.

Three cages contained a femaleUrsus americanus (called Nena), thedaughter of a male-female pair ofUrsus americanus (brown variety —called Pancha and the male) thatlived in an adjacent cage, and afemale Melursus ursinus (called Vieuwhich means “old man” inpapiament, the local language — atthat time everybody believed it was amale) that was its neighbor. Theenclosures were old-fashioned 1930’sstyle cages, too small for the species

and constructedof concrete andiron. To give anidea about thebizarre situation,the sign in frontof the slothbear’s cage read:“Asiatische Beer— Siberia”(“Asiatic Bearfrom Siberia” inDutch).

The zoo hadreceived theanimals from anold zoo thatclosed in Aruba (a neighboringisland) in the mid-1980s. By the timeof my arrival, the bears’ diet waslimited exclusively to sweet potatoes.The bears presented abnormal skin,

fur and behavior. Fortunatelythe staff recognized the poorsituation and decided to findthe bears a better home inanother zoo.

In the meantime, we tried toimprove the diets but it wasvery difficult. Initially thebears accepted pumpkins andgradually some concentrateddog food, but never real freshmeat. We also concentratedour efforts on carrying outclinical analyses, and environ-mental enrichment together

with vitamin supplementation.The next step was to find a new

home for the bears. In 1998, Icontacted 6 Latin American zoos inorder to propose the exchange butnone responded. Then I rememberedmy native city’s zoo, Parque Sur(Maracaibo Zoo), which in myopinion has the best bear enclosuresin Venezuela: naturalistic wide openareas with pools, trees and real grass.At that time they had 2 emptyenclosures and 1 with only a female

Ursus americanus (black variety)…apretty good situation! The MaracaiboZoo agreed to accept the bears andthe process to legally transport theanimals between countries started.

I continued to visit Parke Tropikalevery 3 months and personallyfollowed the transfer process, butproblems began. In 2001, ParkeTropikal offered me the position ofzoo director for 1 year, which Iaccepted in order to facilitatemoving the bears. My goal was togive them a better place to live anddie (apart from Nena, the other bearswere very old).

One problem was that ParkeTropikal had no records about thebears’ origins, and the island’sgovernment office had one statingthat the sloth bear was a femaleUrsus thibetanus. This problem wassolved amazingly…I had a meetingwith the secretary of the WildlifeOffice at the Ministry of Agricultureand, with pictures of both species, wedecided its identity was a Melursusursinus, because the animal has whitenails and the Ursus tibetanus has blackones!!!

On the other hand, in Venezuela,the authorities of Parque Sur calledtheir chief advisor, Dr. Bartolomé

The Adventures of the “Bears of Montecristo” orHow Four Old Bears Escaped from an Island

Bear cage at Parke Tropikal.

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.Pancha at Parke Tropikal.


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Marin, and together we solved thebureaucratic issues related to thebears’ transfer. Wearranged anexchange of amale-female pairof lowland tapirs(Tapirus terrestris)for the Curacaobears, and westarted building abig, modern,naturalisticenclosure for thetapirs. The chal-lenge then was thecost of the trip andhow to do it.

Instead of usingair transport, wechose to use the sea,because for us it wasfree. The owner of afleet of ships thattransport concretefrom Maracaibo toCuracao twice a week was a close friendof Parke Tropikal, and he offered to takethe bears to their new home at no cost.The boats returned empty to Maracaiboevery week and the total time of the tripwas only 12 hours.

We couldn’t find the internationalregulations to transport live animals bysea, so we used the airline rules. Dr.

Marin proposed to use pine wood tobuild the transport cages and person-ally supervised the construction offour cages that could transport bothbears and tapirs (big enough for tapirsand strong enough for bears). Dr.Marin accompanied the bears in theboat (he has years of experiencetransporting all kinds of animals bytruck, airplane and helicopter) while Iwaited for them at the harbor inMaracaibo. We alerted the portauthorities to immediately transportthe animals to the zoo and do thepaperwork later. Dr. Marin and Irefused to risk using anesthesiabecause of the age of the animals, so

after 4 tries and 1 broken claw weloaded all the bears into the cages andonto the boat. The date was April 11,2002 — the day of the coup d’etat inVenezuela.

Due to the national strike inVenezuela, every airport and harborwas closed for national securityreasons. I couldn’t make the trip to

Maracaibo and Dr. Marin was stuckwith the bears on the Caribbean Sea(the captain refused to go back — inApril, during the beginning of thehurricane season).

The rule in transporting animals isto withhold food. Fortunately wehad provided every cage with aremovable water dish and I gave Dr.Marin a bag of concentrated dogfood, just in case. Three days later,the situation in Venezuela wasalmost normal and the boat finallyarrived.

Everybody at the Maracaibo Zoowas expecting the animals, evenrepresentatives of the mass media,

because as far aswe knew thiswould be thefirst and onlyMelursus ursinusregistered inLatin America.Dr. Marin was areal herobecause, againstany prediction,he maintainedthe condition ofthe four animalsin small cages forthree days at sea.

In July 2004,Vieu, the oldMelursus ursinusdied. He wasabout 30 years oldand the necropsyfinally demon-strated that he

was a she. The family of Ursus americanusis still at Parque Sur, in good conditions.They now eat a variety of vegetables,fruits and real fresh meat, but always themain item in every meal must be sweetpotatoes…a memory of past hard times.

Thanks to Denis Torres, ShaenandoaGarcia Rangel, Ma. Lourdes Fuenmayor,her husband and brother for their helpwith language and editing.

Dr. Marin personally tests transport cages.

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Bear enclosure at Maracaibo Zoo.

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Sally MaughanIdaho Black Bear Rehab, Inc.6097 Arney LaneGarden City, Idaho 83714, USAEmail [email protected] www.bearrehab.org

Caring for 37 American black bearcubs from 5 states (Idaho, Washing-ton, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming)made 2004 our busiest year. Theyoungest cub arrived on February 20,2004 at 3-4 weeks oldwith eyes closed, weigh-ing 2.8 lbs. All bears arecurrently doing well.Some cubs are hibernat-ing, but many of thesmaller bears don’t weighenough to successfullyhibernate and remainactive. At peak feedingtimes, daily food con-sumption included 120lbs. of dog food, a caseapples and buckets ofassorted fruit, salmon,and lots of acorns.Vegetation in the enclo-sures was quickly eatenand trampled. All of thecubs will be active byMarch and a spring releaseis planned for May. Out-of-state bearswill return home, and Idaho cubs willbe released wearing radio collars andear tags.

In July, a female cub arrived thathad been hit by a car. The motherremained with the cub desperatelytrying to help her even while peoplewere stopping to assist. Finally themother had to move away and leaveher cub — a very sad sight. The cubhad a shattered front leg and adislocated hip. A surgeon repairedthe front leg, sewed wounds on therear leg, and re-located the hip. Overthe next 8 weeks, the cub healednicely, but the hip dislocated 3

Idaho Black Bear Rehab

times. The veterinarian advisedno further treatment, becausethe cub exhibited no discom-fort or difficulties with walkingor running. She currently hasabout 80% normal use of thefront leg and a spring release isanticipated.

A cub with sky blue eyes arrivedfrom Salmon, Idaho on October 7,2004. As of December when we lastsaw the cub before hibernation, his

eyes were still blue. No one we spokewith has ever seen a bear that agewith blue eyes. It will be interestingto see if they remain blue until therelease date. If any of you have seencubs this age with blue eyes, pleasecontact us.

Early in the year, as each new cubarrived, resident bears would huffand puff and run from the new bear.It did not take the new cubs long torealize they had the run of theenclosure, at least for a short time.Usually it took about 2-3 weeks inthe larger main enclosure for thecubs to merge into one happy,playful group. However, with each

new cub arrival, the the huffing,puffing, and excitement mostlyceased.

Another behavior involved a tinyOregon black bear cub. She isvery calm, and nothing seemsto bother her. She seems toobserve her surroundings andis thoughtful in her actions.When we moved 5 cubs intoher enclosure she wentaround to 3 of them afterabout an hour and intro-duced herself, just calmlysitting within inches of themas if to reassure them. Sheseemed to calm the newarrivals. We noticed in thenext few days that the newarrivals she greeted were easilyinteracting with her, but notyet the other cubs. She becameour little peacemaker.

We started filming ourtraining video this year and

will continue filming through thespring release. It will show therehabilitation process from cubs of 3-4 weeks of age to the release ofyearlings in May. When completedin fall 2005, the video will beavailable to state wildlife agencies,bear projects, wildlife rehabilitators,and others working with bears.

In April 2004, we received non-profit approval from the U.S. Inter-nal Revenue Service.

Visit www.bearrehab.org. Thehandbook detailing the rehabilita-tion process is on the website underthe Professionals menu. Contact usfor a PDF or hard copy.

Blue-eyed American black bear cub.

American black bear cubs at Idaho Black Bear Rehab.

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Student Forum

Diana Doan-CriderIBA StudentCoordinatorCaesar Kleberg

Wildlife Research Institute/King Ranch Institute for Ranch Mgmt.MSC 218Texas A&M University-KingsvilleKingsville, TX 78363-8202, USAPhone (361) 593-5407Email [email protected]

Are you an IBA student?Then you need to join theStudent Forum List Serve!

NEW IBA STUDENTSSIGN UP NOW FOR THE TRUMAN

STUDENT LIST SERVE!• For students only.• Discussions pertaining to bear

biology, management, or studydesign challenges.

• Assistance with proposals andstudy design through IBA profes-sionals.

• Job searches, announcements,information regarding the IBAand student membership.

• Planning for IBA student activitiesand meetings.

• IBA membership is encouraged, butnot required for initial sign-up.

INSTRUCTIONS• Contact Diana Doan-Crider at d-

[email protected] to enroll.• After enrollment, go to:http://aristotle.tamuk.edu.• Click on Agricultural Lists.• Click on Truman.• Enter your email address and the

password “Bears01”.• Go to Create Message.

Do NOT reply to list serve mes-sages using your “reply” button. Youmust return to Truman and respondwithin the list serve so other mem-bers will receive your message.

Important Message forCurrent Truman Users

We recently experienced technicaldisruptions when the universityserver was updated. If you have notreceived a TRUMAN-TEST message inthe past few weeks, please notify meso we can update your information.

Preparatevi Per L’Italia!!IBA Travel Grants

Are Limited!Help Lighten the Load!

Plan ahead by saving your money now!Look for outside sponsors!

Italy conference registration page 45.Travel grant application page 47.

Stay Posted with theTRUMAN LIST SERVE.

Thunder!I finally got my DVD set of Band

of Brothers, which is StevenAmbrose’s account of the 506thRegiment of the 101st Airborne’sEasy Company during World War II.The cover says, “They didn’t justcarry the weight of the world ontheir shoulders — they carried eachother.” Easy Company was a groupof elite riflemen and paratroopersthat played a critical role in winningWWII. While they were paid only$150 per month, they still volun-teered in the U.S. Army. EasyCompany was a strategic factor onD-Day at Normandy, and ultimatelycaptured Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest 2 yearslater. From beginning to end,however, Easy Company suffered150% casualties.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m nottrying to compare the IBA to para-troopers jumping out of planes anddodging bullets, although sometimesI see Council members limpingaround after their meetings and

looking like they need a medic.Nevertheless, let me use this analogyto rally you students. We IBAers are abunch of bear biologists withfulltime jobs, and all of our time withthe IBA is voluntary. Not only that,but out of a membership of over 500,about 10% carry the actual workload. The IBA is a critical organiza-tion for bear biologists and bearconservation efforts across the globe.Without it, I would hate to imaginethe void for bears and the peoplewho study and love them. For 37years, the IBA has worked very hardto develop cohesiveness among bearresearchers around the world, and todevelop important initiatives such asthe grants program, our peer-reviewed journal Ursus, the BearSpecialist Group, conferences, andinternational outreach. In addition,the IBA uses its expertise to representthe 8 bear species around the worldwhen it comes to conservation issuesand political decisions that affectbear populations.

During D-Day, Easy Company usedthe code word “Thunder”, whoseresponse was “Flash” when companymembers were trying to identify oneanother in the field. Lately, recentshouts into the dark woods of bearbiology have resulted in few re-sponses, making some of us believethat we should concern ourselveswith potential casualties. IBA mem-bership has decreased by 30% in 2years, and we need to find our lostmembers. Students, in particular, area critical part of the IBA, and we can’tafford to lose any of you.

Episode 4 of Band of Brothers wastitled “Replacements.” That is theanswer to the question about howEasy Company suffered a 150%casualty rate. Replacements were sentto take the place of casualties, andwere critical to maintaining theoffensive and ultimately winning the


Student Forum

war. They were also less experiencedthan the original members, andsometimes needed extra help ingetting to the point where theycould run with the veterans. That’swhere you come in: one of thereasons that we established theStudent Forum was to help you jointhe professional realm of bearbiology, and also to provide re-placements who were ready to stepin and keep the ground that we’vegained in the IBA since 1968. Asour older and wiser leaders step upto higher positions or retire, weneed younger people who arealready familiar with the IBA, theCouncil, and its activities.

The Council needs to know whatthe IBA can do to serve you best, andhow to recruit you into the core ofthe organization. I hate to think thatwe might have students wanderingaround in the woods, needing helpwith bear research projects, andliving on a diet of leftover C-rationsand bark. It’s like the time “Bull”Randleman got left behind enemylines with a chunk of flak in hisshoulder, and a few of his buddiesfrom Easy Company went back atnight to look for him. If you want tobecome more involved with the IBA,contact me and I’ll put you to work.We’ll need lots of help with theupcoming Italy and Japan meetings.Most of all, just shout “Flash!” so I’llknow that you’re out there. Yourmembership is very important to us.If anyone’s lost, I want to knowabout it!

When the Student Forum started,Andreas Zedrosser was the first to stepup to the task. Since that time, he hasbecome part of the backbone of thisproject along with students likeXimena Velez (IBN 13(3):31) andAlexandros Karamanlidis (IBN13(4):37). His help was essential inorganizing functions for the studentsin Norway and San Diego, and he isalready helping with preparations forItaly. One of the greatest and mostimportant things I can say aboutAndreas is that his optimistic outlookand determination to keep everyonefrom giving up is absolutely para-mount to keeping the rest of us afloat.Even the Titanic might have had achance if Andreas was there toencourage everyone to paddle.Andreas thinks that he is somewhatpushy and narrow-minded. I call itassertive and focused. His determina-tion has created his success today as aPh.D. student with Jon Swenson’sScandinavian Bear Project in Norway,where he is enrolled in a joint programbetween the Agricultural University ofNorway and the Agricultural Univer-

sity of Vienna/Austria. Despite theunwillingness of universities in hisnative Austria to adapt to his desire tostudy wildlife management, heessentially created his own curriculumand had to wade through miles ofbureaucracy to do it. Part of thatjourney included working in Sloveniaand Romania with bears, wolves, andlynx, and with World Wildlife Fund-Austria. Andreas suffered the commondisease of “classavoiditis”, which isfound in most bear biology studentswho prefer to spend most of their timechasing animals in the field ratherthan sitting in the classroom. While ittook a little longer to graduate than hepreferred, he graduated with honorsfrom the University of Vienna wherehe conducted a study on the brownhare. He’s very happy in his currentposition where he is studying thegrowth and reproduction of Europeanbrown bears, and seems to be deter-mined to continue working with bears.We are certainly happy to have him onboard with the IBA. Keep your eye onhim — he’ll be on the Councilsomeday!

Student Spotlight:Andreas Zedrosser, Austria

Thunder, cont’d.

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Ursus (16)1 should be in the mailby May 2005. Subscription to Ursus isincluded with IBA membership (page53), volumes can also be purchasedseparately (page 55).

Perspectives,Essays and Reviews

Alaskan brown bears, humansand habituation by Tom S. Smith,Stephen Herrero and Terry D.DeBruyn.

Are black bears a factor in therestoration of North Americangrizzly bear populations? by DavidJ. Mattson, Stephen Herrero and TroyMerrill.

EcologyGrizzly bear associations along

the eastern slopes of Alberta byGordon Stenhouse, John Boulanger,John Lee, Karen Graham, Julie Duvaland Jerome Cranston.

Consumption of pondweedrhizomes by Yellowstone grizzlybears by David J. Mattson, ShannonR. Podruzny, and Mark A. Haroldson.

Denning behavior and den siteselection of grizzly bears along theParsnip River, British Columbia,Canada by Lana M. Ciarniello, MarkS. Boyce, Douglas C. Heard and DaleR. Seip.

GeneticsGeostatistical analysis of allele

presence patterns among Americanblack bears in eastern NorthCarolina by Laura M. Thompson,Frank T. van Manen and Timothy L.King.

Genetic variation and related-ness in grizzly bears (Ursus arctos)in the Prudhoe Bay region andadjacent areas in northern Alaskaby Matthew A. Cronin, RichardShideler, Lisette Waits and R. JohnNelson.

Contents: Ursus 16(1) 2005

American black bear popula-tion size and genetic diversity atApostle Islands NationalLakeshore by Jerrold L. Belant, JulieF. Van Stappen, and David Paetkau,

Developmentsin Methodologies

Estimation of feeding historyby measuring carbon and nitro-gen stable isotope ratios in hair ofAsiatic black bears by Rumiko N.Mizukami, Mitsuaki Goto, ShigeyukiIzumiyama, Hidetake Hayashi andMuneoki Yoh.

To weigh or not to weigh:conditions for the estimation ofbody mass by morphometry byMarc R. L. Cattet and Martyn E.Obbard.

Evaluation of deterrents anddogs on altering black bearbehavior by Jon P. Beckmann, CarlW. Lackey and Joel Berger.

Humans and BearsAndean bear management

needs and interactions withhumans in Colombia by Jeffrey P.Jorgenson and Sergio Sandoval A.

Natural landscape feature,human-related attractants, andconflict hotspots: a spatial analy-sis of human-grizzly bear conflictsby Seth M. Wilson, Michael J.Madel, David J. Mattson, JonathanM. Graham, James A. Burchfield andJill M. Belsky.

Human-sun bear conflicts inEast Kalimantan, IndonesianBorneo by Gabriella Fredriksson.

Leonard SieleckiBritish ColumbiaMinistry of TransportationPO Box 9850 Stn. Prov. Govt.Victoria, BC V8V 9T5, CanadaPhone (250) 356-2255Fax (250) 387-7735Email [email protected]

The Wildlife Accident Reporting System(WARS) 1983-2002 Special Annual Reporton Wildlife Accident Reporting andMitigation in British Columbia describesthe work and achievements of the BritishColumbia Ministry of Transportationover the last 20 years, as one of thepioneers and leaders in wildlife accidentreporting and mitigation. The report isthe latest and most comprehensive ofWARS annual reports published since theearly 1990s.

The WARS annual report is aglobally unique publication. Thosewho study the interaction of wildlifewith transportation infrastructurewill find the report informative, as itprovides a rare insight into thedynamics of the wildlife/highwayinterface. The WARS is used in BritishColumbia to:

1. quantify the magnitude ofwildlife-related collisions by species;

2. identify accident-prone loca-tions and accident trends;

3. direct accident mitigationefforts (such as wildlife exclusionfencing and wildlife crossing struc-tures) to problem locations;

4. evaluate the effectiveness ofaccident mitigation techniques;

5. develop species-specific accidentrisk profiles for highway corridors;

6. advance mitigation efforts toprotect rare and endangered species; and

7. establish policies and strategiesfor accident issues and mitigationinitiatives.

A limited number of free copies ofthe WARS 1983-2002 CD are available.Contact the address above.

Wildlife AccidentReporting System1983-2002

Publications


Christine [email protected]

The relationship between bear andhumankind is fascinatingly complex— especially between the polar bearand Inuit peoples of the far north. TheInuit believed that the spirits ofhumans and polar bears were inter-changeable and many legends de-scribed polar bear men walkingupright, shedding their fur skins, andconversing as men. Other storiesdescribe how Inuit ancestors learned tohunt seals by watching polar bears. AnInuk seal hunter, for instance, wouldslide forward on hands and knees,concealed behind a white bear skinframe and wait patiently for a seal tosurface at its breathing hole. Since thepolar bear was highly respected in Inuitculture, they traditionally followed a setof rules governing the treatment of ahunted polar bear so that the bear’s soulwould be honored and the peopleprotected from sickness and disease.

The Inuit believed that all creatureshave souls, and must be treatedproperly in death, lest their spiritsavenge themselves on the living.Nuliajuk, the mother of animals andthe mistress of the land and sea, couldmake these animals either visible andeasy to hunt, or she could make themdisappear, so that humans would behungry and cold. Hunting taboos werenecessary then, to ensure favor fromNuliajuk and future hunting success.

The polar bear spirit, Nanuk, wasconsidered to be the most powerful,dangerous, and potentially vengefulspirit, after Nuliajuk herself. Polar bearhunts were often accidental; resultingfrom the hunter’s discovery of freshtracks while seal hunting. The hunterfollowed the bear with his sled dogs,often trailing for days until the finalencounter. Usually the Inuit fought inclose proximity to the polar bear, usingsealing harpoons or spears.

Pihoqahiak: The Ever-wandering One

If the hunter was successful, upon hisreturn home, he had to remove all of hisouter garments in a prescribed mannerbefore entering the house, and he couldnot eat the meat or blubber of the bearfor a month. Particularly important wasthe treatment of the harpoon head, for itwas believed that the soul of the polarbear remained on the point for 4-5 days.If the soul of the bear was disturbed oroffended during this time, it could easilypersecute the people with illness or otherdistress.

Other rituals included providing thedead bear with drinking water (as bearswere always thirsty), and hanging theskin, fur-side out with the skull intact, bythe nostrils outside of the snow hut.Inside, the bear’s bladder, spleen, tongue,and other organs were hung togetherwith presents given to the soul of thebear. If the bear was male, huntingimplements and tools were provided. Ifthe bear was female, cooking utensilsand domestic tools were left. Bears weregiven human tools because they couldpotentially change themselves intohuman form. These were the kind ofgifts also left with deceased humans.

Food from a hunt was shared with thewhole community. Individuals had fewpersonal possessions; everything elsebelonged to the community. Thisexpectation of acting for the benefit ofthe whole community is demonstratedin the following story:

A man named Angutdligamaq neverhunted but would kill successful hunters andsteal their seals. Others lived in fear of himbut finally agreed that something must bedone. They decided to teach him to hunt, butAngutdligamaq proved exceedingly clumsyand had to be shown how to do everything,including how to sleep in a snow house. Theothers told him he’d sleep best if he left oneleg out of his trousers.

When his companions sawAngutdligamaq’s bare backside exposed, theyburied a spear in it. Angutdligamaq jumpedup, bellowing with pain and rage, but this

agitation only forced the spear farther in,and the murderer died. His mother, Anoritoq,mourned for her son and asked the huntersto give her a bear embryo, that she mightraise it as her child.

When the hunters took a pregnantbear, they presented the unborn cub toAnoritoq, and she raised it as her son, soit could catch seals for her. All went welluntil winter. Unable to see seals in thewinter darkness, the bear began stealingother families’ meat. Soon the bear’scousins, the village dogs, surrounded himand held him until the people killed him.

Anoritoq sobbed a song to her deadbear-son until the tears froze on hercheeks and her body turned to stone.

A lazy or dishonest person wouldbe held up to public ridicule, andcould potentially be shunned andisolated from the group, for no onewas expected to survive by them-selves without their family andfriends in the harsh Arctic climate.

In addition to providing food, the furof an average polar bear was enough tomake three pairs of men’s trousers, wornwith the fur on the outside, and one pairof kamik (snow boots). The fur, whichcould retain and slowly release water,was also used to ice the runners of thekomatik (sledge), and the skin could beused for the sledge itself. The bones wereused to make digging or pounding tools,while the skull and teeth were kept forprotection and ceremonial purposes. Theonly part of the polar bear that wasn’tused was the liver (due to toxic concen-trations of vitamin A), as it could makeeven the sled dogs very ill.

The importance of the polar bear tothe Inuit people is simply and eloquentlystated by an elderly Greenland Inukhunter to Knud Rasmussen (aGreenlandic writer/anthropologist) atthe beginning of the 20th century.When asked to define the greatesthappiness of life, the man replied: “Torun across fresh bear tracks and be aheadof all the other sledges.”

Bears in Culture


Shannon Podruzny, EcologistInteragency Grizzly Bear Study TeamUSGS Northern RockyMountain Science CenterPO Box 172780Forestry Sciences Lab-MSUBozeman, MT 59717, USAPhone (406) 994-2607Email [email protected]

The U.S. Geological Survey andthe National Park Service are con-tinuing a comparative study of foodhabits and habitat use of Americanblack and grizzly bears in GrandTeton National Park, Wyoming, USA.Volunteers are needed to assistground crews in visiting GPS collarlocations, performing habitat usereconnaissance and scat collectionfor DNA and food habits analysis.The work involves extensive hikingand backpacking in very remote,grizzly bear inhabited areas. Previousoutdoor and orienteering experienceis a plus. Field work will be per-formed May-November. We’relooking for dedicated buddingwildlife biologists who are willing tocommit 3 or more months to thisproject. The work is hard, the hoursare long, the pay is almost non-existent (per diem allowance), andthe housing is primitive, but this isan incomparable opportunity to gainexperience doing wildlife research.

For more information, or to send aresume and references, contact theaddress above.Application, instructions, and

other new information for the 2005Conservation Endowment Fund(CEF) are now available on the AZAwebsite (aza.org) under Conserva-tion and Science. The deadline forCEF grant applications is Monday, 2May 2005.

Stacey Iverson, Program ManagerWildlife Conservation Network25745 Bassett LaneLos Altos, CA 94022, USAPhone (650) 949-3533Fax (650) 949-3733Email [email protected]

The Wildlife Conservation Net-work (WCN) is dedicated to thesupport of field-based conservation-ists who are working actively withlocal communities to protect endan-gered flagship species and preservetheir natural habitats. We focus oninnovative, independent conserva-tionists who are exploring new waysto resolve the conflicts betweenpeople and wildlife, and activelyengage local people as effectivestewards of their environment. WCNprovides conservation entrepreneurswith the financial, technical andadministrative support that helps tomake their work more efficient,effective and successful.

WCN currently supports nineconservation projects at the Partnerlevel. Each WCN Partner attends theannual Wildlife Conservation Expoas a featured presenter, has access toWCN donors for funding andnetworking, receives an annualminimum funding guarantee fromWCN, and receives assistance withfundraising, donor development,marketing and technology.

WCN reviews applications for newPartners each January. The applica-tion process is rigorous, and only oneor two new projects are acceptedeach year. Below are the criteria thatall applicants must satisfy to beconsidered for WCN Partner status:

• Working in developing countries.• Focus on threatened or endan-

gered species (currently limited toterrestrial mammals).

Volunteers Neededfor Wyoming BearHabitat Research

American Zooand AquariumAssociation Grants

Funding for Field-basedWildlife Conservationists

• Programs should make a uniquecontribution to conservation effortsand be highly collaborative withother programs.

• Conservation rather thanresearch focused.

• Significant community integra-tion/involvement.

• A demonstrated commitment tohiring, developing, and empoweringlocal staff.

• Field-based with the principleconservationist living 80% of thetime in the range states.

• At least 80% of the programbudget is spent in the range states.

• Budget typically less than$300,000.

• Project operates independentlyof large organizations.

• Not-for-profit organization.• Operates with all required

government and legal requirements.For more information on WCN,

the Partner application process orapplication forms, visitwww.wildnet.org or [email protected].

Opportunities


Submit Abstracts as attachments in Wildlife Society Bulletin format using WORD to:[email protected]

Topics to Consider for Paper Submissions:� Managing Black Bear Populations� Human Dimensions� Land Use Initiatives and Partnerships to

Conserve Land� Managing Displaced Black Bears� Methods to Detect Range Expansion

Special Events:Field Trips, Safe Capture Course, Guest Lectures

Registration Information:Registration Fees before February 1, 2005

$290 – Full Registration $190 – Student Registration

Registration Fees after February 1, 2005$340 – Full Registration$225 – Student Registration

Registration includes: sessions, public forum, field trips, socials, lunches, banquet dinner, proceedings.Further information will be mailed to all IBA members and will be available on-line December, 2004.

Workshop Hotel Rates:A block of rooms has been reserved at the Ramada Inn and Conference Center. Free airport shuttle toand from hotel.• $70 per night – Single or Double Occupancy • $75 per night – Triple or Quad occupancy

Reservations need to be made before March 15, 2005. Please mention you are an 18th EasternBlack Bear Workshop participant to guarantee these rates. These rates include breakfast couponsfor each occupant. To make reservations please call: 1-850-386-1027.

If you have any questions please email [email protected] by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Bear Program.

Ramada Inn and Conference Center Tallahassee, Florida

What is the “Bearometric” Pressure?Recognizing Black Bear Conservation Issues in Eastern Ecosystems

First Call for Papers/Posters Deadline: January 10, 2005

Events


Events

Conference ProgramThe conference begins on Tuesday

morning September 27 and endsSaturday October 1 in the afternoon.Program details will be posted on theconference website in the upcomingmonths.

Website and UpdatesFor more information on the confer-

ence program, travel grants (page 47)and registration (page 45), use theconference website www.provincia.tn.it/foreste/16IBAconference orwww.bearbiology.com/workconf1.htmland watch this newsletter.

RegistrationWe encourage participants to

register online and take advantage ofthe early registration fee. Use theform on the conference website oron page 45.

Conference FeesConference fee is 270 euros for

those registering before 31 July 2005.Late registration will cost 320 euros.Student fee is 125 euros, and lateregistration will be 150 euros. The feeincludes coffee breaks but not theconference banquet.

Travel GrantsA travel grant application is

available on the conference websiteand on page 47.

BanquetThe conference banquet is sched-

uled for the second day of theconference, September 27, in theToblino Castle, about 20 km fromRiva del Garda. This is one of themost beautiful castles in Trentino(XII-XVI century), on a lake shoresurrounded by a Mediterranean forestof evergreen oaks (Quercus ilex).

Maurizio ZaninPlanning Committee ChairProvincia Autonoma di TrentoForest and Wildlife ServiceVia G.B. Trener 338100 Trento, Italy&Claudio GroffPlanning Committee Co-chairProvincia Autonoma di TrentoForest and Wildlife ServiceVia G.B. Trener 3,38100 Trento, ItalyPhone ++39 0461 494961Email [email protected]&Piero GenovesiPlanning Committee Co-chairNational Wildlife InstituteVia Cà Fornacetta 940064 Ozzano dell’EmiliaBologna, ItalyPhone ++39 051 6512228Email [email protected]

ExcursionsVisit the website excursion page

for more information.Hiking in Bear Habitat

A trip to the Tovel Valley, where thelast native bears survived andSlovenian bears are being translocated.Organized in cooperation with theAdamello-Brenta Natural Park, you willvisit the very heart of the park, in thewonderful Brenta massif, one of themost beautiful areas of the entireAlpine arch with the chance to observemany wildlife species includingchamois, red deer, roe deer, marmotand golden eagle. The hike is moder-ately difficult; bring hiking shoes andrain clothing.

Euro 30.00 fee covers transport bycoach and lunch. Led by an English-speaking park ranger.Venice

Three hour tour of the city ofRomanesque-Byzantine origins with8 monuments proclaimed UNESCOHeritage of Humanity sites. Theprogram includes a visit to PiazzaSan Marco, the Basilica, the DucalPalace, the prisons and the worldfamous Ponte dei Sospiri (bridge ofsighs).

Eat lunch at Do Spade restaurant andwine cellar, located just a few metersfrom the Rialto and active since 1400.With his style, charm and dadaisticspirit, the owner will recommendVenetian dishes and good red wines.

Euro 90.00 fee covers travel bycoach, lunch, English-speaking guideand entry to museums (minimum 15participants).Art, History (and Wine)

Guided tour of the beautiful, recentlyopened, Contemporary Art MuseumMART in Rovereto. Then on to Isera, anagricultural village opposite Rovereto onthe banks of the Adige River.

Lunch at the Casa Del Vino,allowing visitors to taste genuineTrentino cuisine together with prized


Workshops and MeetingsIBA standing committees, IBA

working groups, and workshoporganizers who wish to schedulemeetings/workshops during theconference please contact ClaudioGroff at [email protected] schedule these events.

Call for Papers and PostersWe invite abstracts for consider-

ation as oral papers or posters. Theconference will cover all aspects ofbear biology and conservation.Specific topics may include: conser-vation of bears in Europe, humandimensions, genetic monitoring,harvest planning.

There are three types of presentations,1) Invited speakers (25 minutes, 5

minutes for questions);2) Oral presentations (15 minutes,

5 minutes for questions), and3) Posters. Powerpoint and

overhead presentations are possible,if you need other media (slides,video, etc.) please contact theconference office. Maximum postersize is 90 x 150 cm. Posters shouldinclude a picture of the author.

Standards for AbstractsAbstracts should be 1 page long

and in English. Submit them elec-tronically as an attached documentin Word or RTF and indicate whetheryou prefer to make an oral presenta-tion or present a poster. The scien-tific committee will decide whetherthe contribution will be presented,and whether it will be an oralpresentation or a poster.Specific Format Requirements

Margins 3 cm. Title: Times, 14 pt,bold, centered. Author line: Times,12 pt, centered. Example: Smith DG,Miller AB, University of XY, Ger-many, and email address. Maximumlength two lines.

Events

autochthonous wines produced bythe adjoining cellar.

Visit Trento, a beautiful Renais-sance city and capital of TrentinoProvince, whose colors and buildingsmake it unique among Alpine cities.It was the seat of the Council ofTrento (1545-1563) and has alwaysbeen a meeting point between theItalian and Central European cul-tures.

Euro 50.00 covers travel by coach,lunch, English-speaking guide and entryto museums (minimum 15 participants).

Post Conference TripAbruzzo, October 2-6

In cooperation with the NationalForest Service, we are organizing avisit to the Abruzzo Mountainswhich has one of the very fewremnant bear populations (30–50) ofWestern Europe. The range of thishighly threatened bear population isprimarily located within the AbruzzoNational Park, in the beautifulmountains of Central Italy.

Euro 30.00 fee covers one waycoach transfer from Riva del Garda toAbruzzo. Other costs (accommoda-tion, meals, local transports, returntrip) will be paid in Abruzzo to localorganizers (minimum 15 participants).

Riva del Garda AttractionsRiva del Garda offers extraordinary

excursions.Biking over Lake Garda: a

mountain bike tour to the top ofMonte Baldo, over lake Garda anddescending 2000 m back to Riva delGarda.

Canyoning: Breathtaking divesinto river gorges and pools, andgliding along narrow passages. Twoor more hours of excitement guidedby experts who guarantee a com-pletely safe run.

Body of text: Times, 12 pt, rightjustification, single-spaced lines, noindents. Use a space line after title,author line and after each paragraph.

Tables, figures or references areoptional, and should be incorporatedinto the text (please ensure thatlettering in tables and figures is largeenough to be legible).

Maximum length 1 A4 page (cm21x29.7).

Deadline for AbstractsDeadline for submitting abstracts

is 30 April 2005. Abstracts shouldinclude contact information for thepaper’s author(s). Please submit yourabstract to Piero Genovesi at [email protected]

Ursus SubmissionsSubmission of a full manuscript to

Ursus (the peer-reviewed journal of theInternational Association for BearResearch and Management) is encour-aged and will be a factor in selectingpapers. Authors of poster presentationsalso are encouraged to submit full papersto Ursus. Applicants are asked to indicatewhether their presentation will beaccompanied by submission of amanuscript to Ursus. Consult the journalwebsite (www.ursusjournal.com) forinstructions to authors and otherinformation.

Authors submitting Ursus manu-scripts are reminded that page charges(US$90/printed page) are their respon-sibility, and are encouraged to budgetaccordingly. Typically 2.5 pages ofdouble-spaced manuscript equals 1page of final printed text.

An application can be made to theIBA for a Publication Grant to fullyor partially cover page charges forpapers from projects where thesecharges cannot be met. A letter tothe IBA Treasurer (address on page52) outlining the request for anexemption from page charges shouldbe made as early as possible.


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16th IBA Conference Registration Form

• Payment by credit card is only possible with online registration.• If you register by mail/fax, you can pay either by bank transfer or by check.

Please fill in, print and return this form, together with check or receipt of bank transfer, to the organizing secretariat:

Orikata organizzazione congressi Bank account: OriKata organizzazione congressiVia Zell, 138050 COGNOLA (TN) BANCA BOVIO CALDERARIPhone + 39 0461 234411 Filiale Top Center Trento (Italy)Fax + 39 0461 233282 Account Number 052443850130

ABI 03064CAB 01802 IBAN = IT49 N 03064 01802 052443850130

Fill in the form (PLEASE USE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS):

First Name * ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Last name * ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Address *_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Zip code * ___________________________________________ State/province ____________________________________________

City * _______________________________________________ Country * ________________________________________________

Organization * _________________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone _______________________________________________ Fax _____________________________________________________

E-mail *______________________________________________________________________________ * = required information

Conference Registration Fees:

Registration Fee �� 270.00 euros (320.00 euros after July 31, 2005.)Student Fee �� 125.00 euros (150.00 euros after July 31, 2005.)To be entitled to pay the reduced fee, studentsmust provide evidence of university registrationby sending a registration certificate by fax to +39 0461 233282.

No registration fee is required for companions.

TOTAL CONFERENCE AMOUNT: Euro ______________

Registration for the Gala Dinner on September 28, 2005:

• Gala dinner euro 35.00 each Number of Participants: _______ Total Euro___________


Registration for the Mid-conference Trips on September 29, 2005. I am interested in:• Hiking in the Bear RangeFee includes transport and lunch. euro 30.00 each Number of Participants: ___ Total______• Excursion to VeniceFee includes all transport, lunch,Museum entrance fees and an English speaking guide.

euro 90.00 each Number of Participants: ___ Total______• Art, History (and Wine)Fee includes all transport, lunch,Museum entrance fees and an English speaking guide.

euro 50.00 each Number of Participants: ___ Total______

Post Conference Trip• Transfer to Abruzzo euro 30.00 each Number of Participants: ___ Total______Fee only includes bus transport to Abruzzo. Accommodation, meals, local transports and return trip costs shall be paid in Abruzzo.

Hotel ReservationA reservation fee equal to one night’s stay per person will be charged for hotel booking placed using the registrationform. The remaining amount can be paid by cash, credit card or check at the conference.

Arrival Date ____________________ Departure Date ____________________ Total Nights____________________

Hotel Rates (VAT included) — B&B per person, per night:Rooms will be assigned in chronological order of booking. Should the requested category be fully booked, we will bookyou in a different one. The confirmation will be sent from the Organizing Secretariat by fax or email.

TOTAL AMOUNT: euro ___________________Cancellation/Refund

Written cancellations received before September 1, 2005 will receive a full refund subject to a 20% processing fee.

Privacy InformationIn accordance with the Italian Legislative Decree 196/2003, Orikata will use your personal data only for purposes related to

the IBA Conference and is therefore responsible for its use. Should you wish to cancel or change your address at any time,please contact Orikata: Organizzazione Congressi - Via Zell, 1 I-38050 Cognola di Trento (TN), Italy, email [email protected].

Events

Category Double room Total Reservation Fee (= 1 night)

I pay the rate for one person only, euro 58.85,

and I will share the room with:

I pay for two persons, euro 117.70.










Double as single use room

C (2 star)

Hostel

euro 38.35

A (4 star/3 star sup.) euro 78.80

B (3 star) euro 56.75


16th IBA Travel Grants Application — Deadline July 31, 2005

Fill in the form (PLEASE USE CAPITAL LETTERS) and fax it to the organizing secretariat + 39 0461 233282Travel grant award/rejection will be communicated by the organizing secretariat by fax or email.

First Name *_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Last Name * _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Address *________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Zip code * ___________________________________________ State/province _____________________________________________

City * _______________________________________________ Country * _________________________________________________

Organization * __________________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone ______________________________________________ Fax _______________________________________________________

Email *_______________________________________________________________________ • = required information

Title and abstract of presentation submitted to the organizing committee (maximum 100 words):

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Travel Information:�� Airplane — Please issue a prepaid ticket to Verona. I would like to depart from the following airport:First choice ______________________ Second choice ______________________�� Train — I will buy the ticket (2nd class) and I will submit the receipt for reimbursement.From ______________________ to ______________________(Verona or Rovereto)�� Car — The organization will reimburse the equivalent of the train ticket (2nd class) for the same itinerary.From ______________________ to Rovereto

For reimbursement of travel expenses, you must submit receipts to Orikata in Riva del Garda (original tickets or vouchers mustbe shown to confirm the purchase of a ticket on the Internet) or no later than October 30, 2005 to:OriKata – Organizzazione Congressi, Via Zell 1, 38050 Cognola (Trento - Italia).

Hotel Accommodation:• Type of room: �� single �� double �� other• Organization will cover accommodation from September 26 (IN) to October 1 (OUT) 2005 — 5 nights in total, in a 3 star hotel.• If different from above, please indicate your arrival and departure dates:_____/09/2005; _____/10/2005.

Privacy InformationIn accordance with the Italian Legislative Decree 196/2003, Orikata will use your personal data only for purposes related to

the IBA Conference and is therefore responsible for its use. Should you wish to cancel or change your address at any time,please contact Orikata: Organizzazione Congressi - Via Zell, 1 I-38050 Cognola di Trento (TN), Italy Email [email protected]

Events


Central Regional MeetingMarch 9-12, 2005Kansas City, Missouri, USA

Traditional Challenges/Creative Solutions

Designed for zoo and aquariumprofessionals in management/operations, marketing/public rela-tions/development, conservation/education and animal management.The animal program will be heavilyweighted toward birds because theAvian Scientific Group will meet inconjunction with the workshop.

Eastern Regional MeetingApril 13-16, 2005Knoxville, Tennessee, USA

Get Real, Get Close,Get Real Close

Designed for zoo and aquariumprofessionals in education, animalhusbandry, graphics, exhibit design,and children’s zoos. Programmingwill also focus on animal welfare,bears and small carnivores becausethe Animal Welfare Committee,Bear TAG (Taxon Advisory Group)and Small Carnivore TAG will bemeeting in conjunction with theworkshop.

For more information on attend-ing the Regional Workshops, visithttp://www.aza.org/ConfWork/#reg.

September 13-18, 2005Chicago, Illinois, USA

AZA (American Zoo and AquariumAssociation) is accepting sessionproposals for the 2005 annualconference hosted by the John G.Shedd Aquarium in Chicago

To submit a proposal please followthe instructions on AZA’s website:www.aza.org. All proposals must besubmitted online by March 4, 2005for consideration.

For more information, contact :Barbara RevardAnnual Program Committee Vice ChairAssistant DirectorConservation EducationThe Columbus Zoo and Aquarium9990 Riverside DrivePowell, Ohio 43065-0400, USAPhone (614) 645-3448Fax (614) 724-3653Email [email protected]

Regional MeetingsA wide array of courses designed to

address key issues unique to ourindustry. Gain professional training,make connections with peers, andhelp broaden your thinking. Instruc-tors are experienced, knowledgeableand willing to help.

Work towards the first-evermaster’s degree for zoo and aquariumprofessionals: a Master’s in Zoo andAquarium Leadership throughGeorge Mason University. Taking thecourses requires additional projectsand/or more rigorous examinations.Continuing education units areavailable. Courses offered in 2005:

April 13, 2005Knoxville, Tennessee, USA(at the Eastern Regional Workshop)• Institutional Collection Planning

April 16-21, 2005Detroit, Michigan, USA• Amphibian Biology and Management

April 28-30, 2005Gainesville, Florida, USA• Techniques for Butterfly Conserva-tion and Management

April 30-May 6, 2005Sacramento, California, USA• Advances in Animal Keeping inZoos and Aquariums• Conservation Education• Developing an Institutional In SituConservation Strategy• Institutional Records Keeping• Managing Animal Enrichment andTraining Programs• Population Management I: DataAcquisition & Processing• Population Management II: DataAnalysis & Breeding Recommendations

May 14-19, 2005St. Augustine, Florida, USA• Crocodilian Biology and CaptiveManagement

For more information visit: http://www.aza.org/prodev/ or contact: GeriNoland, Training Administrator,phone: (310) 562-0777 ext. 238, email:[email protected]

American Zoo and Aquarium Association:

Professional Training Annual Conference

Events


Eger, HungaryAugust 23-27, 2006

Owen T Nevin, SecretarySociety for Conservation Biology(European Section)Email [email protected]

The European Section of theSociety for Conservation Biology ispleased to announce the FirstEuropean Congress of ConservationBiology (ECCB). We are determinedto promote the development and useof science for the conservation ofEuropean species and ecosystems,and to make sure that conservationpolicy is firmly supported by the bestavailable scientific evidence. For thisreason, and because of the multi-disciplinary nature of conservationbiology, we aim to attract a widearray of academics, students, policymakers, stakeholders, naturalresource managers, and media andNGO representatives from all overEurope to attend the ECCB. Toachieve this multi-disciplinaryrepresentation, it is vital that wecirculate this announcement widely,not only in the academic channelsbut also to policy makers, indepen-dent scientists and biodiversitymanagers. Being involved with theconservation and management ofbears worldwide, you will, I am sure,appreciate the critical importance ofa coherent and science-based conser-vation policy; this is especially truein Europe. By bringing togetherdiverse groups we hope to establish a

First European Congressof Conservation Biology

New Mexico, USASpring 2006

Rick WinslowLarge Carnivore BiologistNew Mexico Dept. of Game and FishPO Box 25112, #1 Wildlife WaySanta Fe, NM 87505, USAPhone (505) 268-6347 or (505) 476-8046Email [email protected]

The New Mexico Department ofGame and Fish and Philmont ScoutRanch are hosting the 9th WesternBlack Bear Workshop, tentativelyscheduled for spring 2006. Detailswill be provided as they develop.

Ninth WesternBlack Bear Workshop

Missoula, Montana, USAApril 30-May 7, 2005

The wildlife film festival is gearingup for its 28th year entitled Bridgingthe Gaps: Media and Conservation.Known as the “The FilmmakersFestival”, it has evolved into one ofthe most significant film events:where wildlife on screen means filmand filmmaking take center stage,providing unsurpassed opportunitiesfor filmmakers to share their workwith the public and colleagues.Enjoy networking opportunities,pitching sessions, and hands-onworkshops in the field and in thetheater with the latest technology.Additionally the festival includesmany dynamic seminars with someof the leading filmmakers worldwide.To register and learn more pleasevisit http://www.wildlifefilms.org/festival/registration.htm. Earlyregistration to receive a discountends March 1, 2005. Scholarships areavailable.

InternationalWildlife Film Festival

multi-disciplinary network ofconservationists across Europedrawing on global expertise inconservation biology. The ECCB willalso be hosting a meeting of theLarge Carnivore Initiative for Europeenabling you to gain the greatestbenefit from your travel budget!While August 2006 may seem a longway off, we are all aware of the leadtime required to prepare papers andsecure funding. It is important,therefore, to draw attention to thetimetable for the submission ofsymposium proposals and abstractsoutlined below:

May 2005Call for Symposium Proposals

August 31, 2005 Deadline for Symposium Proposals

September 2005Call for Abstracts

February 2006Deadline for Abstracts

For current information, visit theECCB web page (www.eccb2006.org).

I look forward to meeting many ofyou at the next IBA conference inSeptember and hope that carnivoreconservation will be well-representedat the ECCB in 2006.

Events


17th International Conference on Bear Research and ManagementOctober 2-6, 2006Karuizawa Town, Nagano, JapanToshiki AoiPlanning Committee ChairFaculty of AgricultureIwate University3-18-8 Ueda, Morioka-cityIwate 020-8550, JapanPhone & Fax +81 19 621 6136Email [email protected]&Koji YamazakiPlanning Committee Secretary GeneralZoological LaboratoryIbaraki Nature Museum700 Osaki, Iwai-cityIbaraki 306-0622, JapanPhone +81 297 38 2000Fax +81 297 38 1999Email [email protected]

The 17th IBA Conference will bethe first IBA conference held in Asia.A planning committee has beenarranged for the conference, cooper-ating with government agencies,NGOs, and the locals for a successfulmeeting. We hope that the confer-ence will inspire more research andeffective management plans for bearsin Asia.

Conference VenueKaruizawa is a popular resort town

located in the central part of Japan.Half of the town is within theJyoshin-etsu Plateau National Park,featuring 2000 m mountains, severalvolcanoes, and many hot springs. Arich natural environment remains inthe park, and large mammals, suchas Japanese black bears (Ursusthibetanus), wild boars (Sus scrofa),sika deer (Cervus nippon), Japaneseserows (Capricornis crispus), andJapanese macaques (Macaca fuscata),have healthy populations.

Since the1990s, bear-human con-flicts havebecome amajor concernin Karuizawa.Food-condi-tioned bearsrepeatedly visitgarbagestations inresidentialareas. In 1998,an effort tomanagegarbage bearswas started bya privateinstitute,established bya resortcompany.

The confer-ence site, HotelBleston Courtof HoshinoResort, hassophisticatedfacilities. There are also many otherlodging facilities nearby. Variousleisure activities are available in thearea: hiking and bicycle trails, tenniscourts, golf courses, shopping malls,art museums and historic sites.

It takes about 2.5 hours from NaritaInternational Airport on the super-express train to reach Karuizawa.

Conference informationMore information for the confer-

ence will be announced in upcom-ing issues of International Bear Newsand on the conference websitewww.japanbear.org/iba2006.html.For more details on Karuizawatown, visit http://www.town.karuizawa.nagano.jp/html/English/index.html

Call for PapersPlease prepare your papers.

Detailed information on conferenceschedule and presentations will beposted in International Bear News andon the conference website. Presenta-tions on Asian bears are especiallyencouraged.

Field TripsAfter the conference, we will offer

various excursions which are enjoy-able and reasonably priced. Sometrips will visit bear habitat guided byJapanese researchers. Right now,please plan your schedule for theconference. We look forward toseeing you in Japan!

Events


Events

Monterrey Office of Conventionsand Visitors (OCV) has coordinatedUN meetings at the CINTERMEXConference Facility, and will helporganize the IBA conference at thesame venue (www.cintermex.com.mx/and www.parquefundidora.org/)including translation services(Spanish, Russian, Japanese, et al),field trips, travel permits, andlogistics. Five-star lodging (US$80/night/2004) is connected to the 350-acre enclosed site, which includes aneco-park, museums, banks, restau-rants, family areas and an immacu-late, newly renovated internationalhostel (225 beds, US$6/night/2004).Cheaper hotels (US$30-45/night) arewithin a 5-minute metro-ride.Corporate sponsorship shouldsupport conference meals, field trips,and special events, keeping registra-tion costs at a minimum. The OCV isfunding organization and printing.Monterrey’s 2 distinguished universi-

18th International Conference on Bear Research and ManagementFall 2007Monterrey, Mexico

ties are assisting so student participa-tion should be high. Direct commu-nication with the Mexican Consulatewill ensure smooth travel for non-North Americans. Canadian and USAvisitors need a Tourist Visa on entrywhich requires a passport or birth-certificate (2004 regulations).

Nearby are the historic downtown,natural and scenic areas. Field tripswill include Chipinque, Sierra losPicachos, and Cumbres NationalParks (American black bear studyareas), Garcia Caves, Horsetail Fallsand Mina Archeological Area. Naturewatching includes red-frontedparrots, migratory songbirds andmonarch butterflies. The OCV willalso coordinate discount travel forthose wishing to visit more ofMexico.

Diana Doan-CriderKing Ranch Institutefor Ranch ManagementMSC 137Phone (361) 593-5407Fax (361) 593-5404Email [email protected]&David G. HewittCaesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Inst.MSC 218Phone (361) 593-3963Fax (361) 593-3924Email [email protected] A&M University-KingsvilleKingsville, TX 78363-8202, USA&Rodrigo Medellin L.Centro de EcologiaUniversidad Autonoma de MexicoApartado Postal 70-27504510 Mexico, DF, [email protected] +52-5-5622-9042Fax +52-5-5622-8995

Monterrey, Mexico’s third largestcity (2 hours south of the USA), isbeautifully situated in theTamaulipan thornscrub/Chihuahuandesert at 800 masl next to the SierraMadre Oriental Mountains whichrise dramatically 2000 m to pine/oakforests. Autumn promises bearactivity and pleasant weather.

Nearby increasing bear-humanconflicts make interest in bears high.Bear research and management hasstate and federal attention, but thereis no active conservation strategy.This conference will focus attentionon bear conservation at a criticalpoint, and will encourage biologiststo seek bear research and manage-ment training.

Monterrey is very progressive, andconference facilities are ideal. Aninternational airport has 250 dailydirect flights from major cities. The


IBA Officers & Council

Harry Reynolds, President*Alaska Department of Fish and Game1300 College RoadFairbanks, AK 99701, USAPhone (907) 459-7238Fax (907) 451-9723Email [email protected][email protected]

Jon SwensonVice President for Eurasia^Department of Ecology andNatural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life SciencesPostbox 5003N-1432 Ås, NorwayPhone 47 64 94 85 30Fax 47 64 94 85 02Email [email protected]

Karen NoyceVice President for Americas*Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources1201 East Highway 2Grand Rapids, MN 55744, USAPhone (218) 327-4432Fax (218) 327-4181Email [email protected]

Joseph Clark, Secretary*U.S. Geological SurveySouthern Appalachian Field LaboratoryUniversity of Tennessee274 Ellington HallKnoxville, TN 37996, USAPhone (865) 974-4790Fax (865) 974-3555Email [email protected]

Frank van Manen, Treasurer*U.S. Geological SurveySouthern Appalachian Field LaboratoryUniversity of Tennessee274 Ellington HallKnoxville, TN 37996, USAPhone (865) 974-0200Fax (865) 974-3555Email [email protected]

^term expires 2005*term expires 2007

Andrew Derocher*Department of Biological ScienceUniversity of AlbertaEdmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, CanadaPhone 1 780 492 5570Fax 1 780 492 9234Email [email protected]

Isaac Goldstein^Wildlife Conservation SocietyPO Box 833IPOSTEL MeridaEstado Merida, VenezuelaPhone 58-414-7176792Email [email protected]

John Hechtel*Alaska Department of Fish and Game1800 Glenn Highway, Suite 4Palmer, AK 99645, USAPhone (907) 746-6331Fax (907) 746-6305Email [email protected]

Djuro Huber^University of ZagrebBiology Department, Veterinary FacultyHeinzelova 55, 10000 ZagrebRepublic of CroatiaPhone 385 1 2390 141Fax 385 1 244 1390Email [email protected]

Ole Jakob Sørensen*Nord-trondelag University CollegeFaculty of Social Sciences andNatural ResourcesBox 2501N-7729 Steinkjer, NorwayPhone +4774112052Fax +4774112101Email [email protected]

Michael R. Vaughan^Virginia CooperativeFish and Wildlife Research Unit148 Cheatham Hall, Virginia TechBlacksburg, VA 24061-0321, USAPhone (540) 231-5046Fax (540) 231-7580Email [email protected]

Koji Yamazaki*Zoological LaboratoryIbaraki Nature Museum700 OsakiIwai-city, Ibaraki 306-0622, JapanPhone +81 297 38 2000Fax +81 297 38 1999Email [email protected]

Teresa DeLorenzo (non-voting)International Bear News Editor10907 N.W. Copeland St.Portland, OR 97229, USAPhone (503) 643-4008Fax (503) 643-4072Email [email protected]

Diana Doan-Crider (non-voting)IBA Student Affairs CoordinatorKing Ranch Institutefor Ranch ManagementMSC 137Texas A&M University-KingsvilleKingsville, TX 78363-8202, USAPhone (361) 593-5407 (361) 593-5401 KRIRM OfficeFax (361) 593-5404Email [email protected]

Richard B. Harris (non-voting)Ursus Editor218 EvansMissoula, MT 59801, USAPhone & Fax (406) 542-6399Email [email protected]


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4th 1980 Montana 1977 $30.00

5th 1983 Wisconsin 1980 $30.00

6th 1986 Arizona 1983 $30.00

7th 1987 Virginia/Yugoslavia 1986 $35.00

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9th (1) 1994 Montana 1992 $45.00

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14th 2003 Ursus 14 Volumes 1 & 2 $45.00

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16th 2005 Ursus 16 inc.w/ Std. Membership $45.00*40% discount for 3 or more volumes, except Ursus 13, 14, 15 & 16. Less 40% Discount (-$)

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13th 1996 Vermont 1996 $15.00

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16th 2001 South Carolina 2001 $15.00

Western Black Bear Workshop Proceedings, USA 1st 1979 Arizona 1979 $15.00

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Safety in Bear Country Videos Staying Safe in Bear Country $20.00

Staying Safe in Bear Country & Working in Bear Country $30.00Staying Safe in Bear Country Public Performance Rights $69.00Staying Safe in Bear Country/Working in Bear Country PPR $129.00

Monographs of the IBAA Proposed Delineation of Critical Grizzly Bear Habitat in the Yellowstone Region (#1, 1977)

By F. Craighead $10.00The Status and Conservation of the Bears of the World (#2, 1989)

By C. Servheen $10.00Density-Dependent Population Regulation of Black, Brown and Polar Bears (#3, 1994)

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IBA Mission StatementGoal: The goal of the International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA) is to promote the conservation

and restoration of the world’s bears through science-based research, management and education.Objectives: In support of this goal, IBA’s objectives are to:1. Promote and foster well-designed research of the highest professional standards.2. Develop and promote sound stewardship of the world’s bears through scientifically based population and habitat management.3. Publish and distribute, through its conferences and publications, peer-reviewed scientific and technical information of high quality addressing broad issues of ecology, conservation and management.4. Encourage communication and collaboration across scientific disciplines and among bear researchers and managers through conferences, workshops and newsletters.5. Increase public awareness and understanding of bear ecology, conservation, and management by encouraging the translation of technical information into popular literature and other media, as well as through other educational forums.6. Encourage the professional growth and development of our members.7. Provide professional counsel and advice on issues of natural resource policy related to bear management and conservation.8. Maintain the highest standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity.9. Encourage full international participation in the IBA through the siting of conferences, active recruitment of international members and officers, and through financial support for international research, travel to meetings, member ships, and journal subscriptions.10. Through its integrated relationship with the Bear Specialist Group of the World Conservation Union (IUCN)/Species Survival Commission, identify priorities in bear research and management and recruit project proposals to the IBA Grants Program that address these priorities.11. Build an endowment and a future funding base to provide ongoing support for IBA core functions and for the IBA Grants Program.12. Support innovative solutions to bear conservation dilemmas that involve local communities as well as national or regional governments and, to the extent possible, address their needs without compromising bear conservation, recognizing that conservation is most successful where human communities are stable and can see the benefits of conservation efforts.13. Form partnerships with other institutions to achieve conservation goals, where partnerships could provide additional funding, knowledge of geographical areas, or expertise in scientific or non-scientific sectors.

Deadline for the May 2005 issue is April 15, 2005

About the International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA)The International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA) is a non-profit tax-exempt (USA tax # 94-3102570)organization open to professional biologists, wildlife managers and others dedicated to the conservation of all bear species.The organization has over 500 members from over 50 countries. It supports the scientific management of bears throughresearch and distribution of information. The IBA sponsors international conferences on all aspects of bear biology, ecologyand management. The proceedings are published as peer-reviewed scientific papers in the journal Ursus.

Documents

International Bear News · 2 International Bear News February 2005 vol. 14, no. 1 Table of Contents International Bear News, ISSN #1064-1564, quarterly newsletter of the International