Brown bear

Canada's current grizzly/brown bear (Ursus arctos) population estimate is between 22,000 and 28,000. The grizzlies' range can be subdivided into 14 biophysically based zones. Banci (1991) classified the grizzly as extinct in 2, threatened in 1, vulnerable in 7, and secure in 4. This documents the need for future-oriented, proactive planning to protect grizzly bear populations in the face of development. Through a survey, all provinces, territories, and national parks having grizzly bears were contacted and their opinions were sought regarding grizzly bear status, threats, and the role of reserves for long-term conservation of viable grizzly bear populations. All respondents believed that the concept of a strictly protected core area and a surrounding region managed to allow limited, carefully regulated resource development, but planned to minimally impact grizzly bears, would be an important component of long-term grizzly bear conservation. I concluded that creation of a new system of such reserves for grizzly bears and other highly mobile species was unlikely. I suggest that the already established 10 national parks of Canada that have grizzly bears could form at least major parts of the strictly protected areas. At least enough land surrounding each park would need to be managed to protect grizzly bear habitat and populations so as to give a high probability of population viability. Canadian national parks by themselves only protect approximately 3.4-4.4% of Canada's grizzly bears so interagency cooperation would be necessary to protect viable populations in larger grizzly bear ecosystems. The need for and progress toward interagency management is discussed with respect to each Canadian national park having grizzly bears. Means of forming interagency management teams are identified. The legislative, policy, and managerial ability of the Canadian national parks to protect grizzly bear habitat and populations is discussed and found to be good enough to allow national parks to function as protected cores. Cooperation from territories and provinces in the management of grizzly ecosystems will depend on public support.

Movements and activity patterns of an adult radio-tagged female brown bear accompanied by her cubs were documented for the first time in Rodopi area (NE Greece) from August 2000 to July 2002. Average daily movements were 2.45 ±2.26 SD km, (range 0.15-8.5 km). The longest daily range could be related to human disturbance (hunting activity).The longest seasonal distance (211 km), during summer 2001 coincided with the dissolution of the family. With cubs, the female was more active during daytime (73% of all radio-readings) than when solitary (28%). The female switched to a more crepuscular behaviour, after separation from the yearling (July 2001). According to pooled data from 924 activity-recording sessions, during the whole monitoring period, the female was almost twice as active during day time while rearing cubs (51% active) than when solitary (23%). The autumn and early winter home range size of the family was larger (280 km 2) than after the separation from the cubs (59 km 2). During the family group phase, home range size varied from 258 km 2 in autumn to 40 km 2 in winter (average denning period lasted 107 days : December 2000-March 2001). The bear hibernated in the Bulgarian part of the Rodopi Range during winters of 2001 and 2002.

We documented the loss of brown bear (Ursus arctos) cubs-of-the-year (cubs) in 2 Swedish populations for 11 years in the north and 12 years in the south, and made spatial and temporal comparisons to examine whether nutritional, social (sexually selected infanticide ...

This review provides an up-to-date synthesis of the matrilineal phylogeography of a uniquely wellstudied Holarctic mammal, the brown bear. We extend current knowledge by presenting a DNA sequence derived from one of the earliest known fossils of a polar bear (dated to 115 000 years before present), a species that shares a paraphyletic mitochondrial association with brown bears. A molecular clock analysis of 140 mitochondrial DNA sequences, including our new polar bear sequence, provides novel insights into the times of origin for different brown bear clades. We propose a number of regional biogeographic scenarios based on genetic data, divergence time estimates and paleontological records. The case of the brown bear provides an example for researchers working with less well-studied taxa: it shows clearly that phylogeographic models based on patterns of modern genetic variation alone can be substantially improved by including data on historical patterns of genetic diversity in the form of ancient DNA sequences derived from accurately dated samples and by using an approach to divergence-time estimation that suits the data under analysis. Using such approaches it has been possible to (i) establish that the processes shaping modern genetic diversity in brown bears acted recently, within the last three glacial cycles; (ii) distinguish among hypotheses concerning species' responses to climatic oscillations in accordance with the lack of phylogeographic structure that existed in brown bears prior to the last glacial maximum (LGM); (iii) reassess theories linking monophyletic brown bear populations to particular LGM refuge areas; and (iv) identify vicariance events and track analogous patterns of migration by brown bears out of Eurasia to North America and Japan.

Wild animals can be involved in epidemiology of many important diseases and often act as reservoirs of pathogens which cause disease in domestic animals and humans. This paper aims the role of red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and brown bear (Ursus arctos) in the circulation of coccidian parasites from the genus Cryptosporidium. Cryptosporidiosis is known as an important enteric pathogen, clinical symptoms in particular in immune-compromised individuals range from mild to severe diarrhoea and dehydration, which could be fatal. Fecal samples from 62 red foxes shot during in central and eastern Slovakia were examined for the qualitative determination of Cryptosporidium spp. antigens in faeces by sandwich ELISA kit. Overall, 38.7% (24/62) of faecal samples of red foxes and 55.6% (35/63) of faecal samples of brown bear were positive. Our preliminary results emphasize prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. amongst brown bears and red foxes in Slovakia and highlight the potential risk for transmission of cryptosporidiosis to humans using the countryside for professional or recreational purposes.

Habitat Reintroduction Tourism A B S T R A C T Brown bears (Ursus arctos) are threatened by habitat loss, habitat fragmentation by infrastructure and human settlements, and have been hunted to local extinction in large areas of their former range. We analyzed the habitat use during the non denning period of 106 radio-collared bears in an expanding bear population in Sweden in relation to resorts and towns, terrain ruggedness, sex and age of bears. Bear use increased substantially with increasing distance to towns and resorts for comparable habitat and terrain types, also for independent scat surveys using DNA-analyses. More than 74% of all female bear locations were in the 29% of the terrain classified as ''rugged'' and located >10 km from any town or resort, whereas similar habitat closer to towns or resorts was avoided. Bears closer to larger settlements and resorts (<10 km) were on average 27-51% younger than in areas beyond (mean 4.4 ± 0.4 versus 8.9 ± 0.8 years for males and 4.4 ± 0.4 versus 6.0 ± 0.2 years for females). Sub-adult bears (<4 years) comprised up to 52% of all bear use within 10 km from resorts and settlements, likely representing exploratory dispersing individuals. These areas, however, contained only 8% of the old males (>7 years), the remaining 92% located beyond 10 km from major resorts and settlements. Recreational resorts are developing rapidly, typically near national parks, and may thus limit expansion or fragment existing bear habitats. Together with active conservation, safeguarding undeveloped corridors of forest and rugged terrain may be important for successful recolonization of the brown bear into its original range.

We assessed the effects of increasing human activity on brown bear Ursus arctos use of a salmon spawning stream by comparing observations (865h) collected 1988-1990 to those (293h) from 1992 when human activities extended a week later into the fall feeding period (26 August-12 October). We classified individual adult bears according to their tolerance of people as "habituated', or 'non-habituated'," sub-adults were considered a third behavioural class. In 1992, non-habituated adults (n = 14 of 22 total adults) reduced their activity in apparent response to an extended lodge season, by delaying their use of the river by 17 days. In contrast, habituated adult bear activity remained similar among years, and sub-adult activity increased >four-fold in 1992. We suggest that the human-induced decrease in non-habituated adult activity may have allowed the increased levels of sub-adult activity.

Genetic monitoring has rarely been used for wildlife translocations despite the potential benefits this approach offers, compared to traditional field-based methods. We applied genetic monitoring to the reintroduced brown bear population in northern Italy. From 2002 to 2008, 2781 hair and faecal samples collected noninvasively plus 12 samples obtained from captured or dead bears were used to follow the demographic and geographical expansion and changes in genetic composition. Individual genotypes were used to reconstruct the wild pedigree and revealed that the population increased rapidly, from nine founders to >27 individuals in 2008 (k = 1.17-1.19). Spatial mapping of bear samples indicated that most bears were distributed in the region surrounding the translocation site; however, individual bears were found up to 163 km away. Genetic diversity in the population was high, with expected heterozygosity of 0.74-0.79 and allelic richness of 4.55-5.41. However, multi-year genetic monitoring data showed that mortality rates were elevated, immigration did not occur, one dominant male sired all cubs born from 2002 to 2005, genetic diversity declined, relatedness increased, inbreeding occurred, and the effective population size was extremely small (Ne = 3.03, ecological method). The comprehensive information collected through genetic monitoring is critical for implementing future conservation plans for the brown bear population in the Italian Alps. This study provides a model for other reintroduction programmes by demonstrating how genetic monitoring can be implemented to uncover aspects of the demography, ecology and genetics of small and reintroduced populations that will advance our understanding of the processes influencing their viability, evolution, and successful restoration.

A quantitative study of the behavior of brown bears (Ursus arctos) was undertaken at Brooks River in Katmai National Park and Preserve 1988-90 to determine whether human activity affected use of the area by females with young. Over the 3 fall seasons 862 hours of systematic observations were recorded or not (late Aug through mid-Oct salmon spawning period). Ten different females with young were observed, 4 of them over a complete reproductive cycle. Each female was classified according to human tolerance as "habituated" (n = 5), or "nonhabituated" (n = 5). The seasonal patterns of family group activity were examined according to habituation class. There was a direct relationship between the distribution of river use by nonhabituated family groups and proximity to Brooks Camp, while no relationship was found for habituated family groups. Use of areas by nonhabituated families increased near Brooks Camp late in the season, when human activity and noise in camp decreased. Availability of fish for bears was highest in areas near camp; however, nonhabituated females with young used these areas significantly less than habituated families.

Ursidae is a young family, evolving from early canids during the late Oligocene and early Miocene, about 20-25 million years ago. The family has frequently been divided into subfamilies. Although debated, these often include: (1) Hemicyoninae, (2) Agriotheriinae, (3) Tremarctinae, (4) Ursinae, and (5) Ailuropodidae. Based on scattered literature published over the past century, we trace the evolutionary lineage of the various genera and species found in these subfamilies; most are extinct, 8 species remain. Many if not most of the relationships have been disputed for many years and we may be far from the definitive history. Speculated causes of extinction usually involved climate change and competition. Primitive man may have been the major competitor of some extinct species and modem man is definitely a major influence on bear evolution today.

In northern Slovenia a radical change in brown bear (Ursus arctos) management – from a policy of bear suppression to a policy of bear protection – resulted in a sharp increase in sheep predation by bears. In the bear core area in southern Slovenia, on the other hand, bears have always been present, cause little damage and are an important game species. This zoned management provided a quasi “natural experiment” to compare attitudes and knowledge between two areas of different bear history, management and damage level. Using a questionnaire survey we sampled 924 locals and 177 hunters in the two areas. Contrary to our expectation, we documented a very positive attitude towards bears, in both study areas and for both target groups. Apparently, regional differences in the damage level per se and the status as a game species are not the driving force shaping attitudes towards bears in Slovenia. The key factor in predicting the attitude towards bears was the perception of how harmful the bears are. Knowledge and socio-demographic factors were only of minor importance. Even though attitude towards bears was positive, support of the present policy of bear expansion was low.

Columbia, as well as in interior areas such as Yellowstone National Park. Viewing is most often being done under conditions that offer acceptable safety to both people and bears. We analyze and comment on the underlying processes that lead brown bears to tolerate people at close range. Although habituation is an important process influencing the distance at which bears tolerate people, other variables also modify levels of bear-to-human tolerance. Because bears may react internally with energetic costs before showing an overt reaction to humans, we propose a new term, the Overt Reaction Distance, to emphasize that what we observe is the external reaction of a bear. In this paper we conceptually analyze bear viewing in terms of benefits and risks to people and bears. We conclude that managers and policy-makers must develop site-specific plans that identify the extent to which bear-to-human habituation and tolerance will be permitted. The proposed management needs scientific underpinning. It is our belief that bear viewing, where appropriate, may promote conservation of bear populations, habitats, and ecosystems as it instills respect and concern in those who participate.

We compare and contrast the evolution of human attitudes toward large carnivores between Europe and North America. In general, persecution of large carnivores began much earlier in Europe than North America. Likewise, conservation programs directed at restoration and recovery appeared in European history well before they did in North America. Together, the pattern suggests there has been an evolution in how humans perceive large predators. Our early ancestors were physically vulnerable to large carnivores and developed corresponding attitudes of respect, avoidance, and acceptance. As civilization evolved and man developed weapons, the balance shifted. Early civilizations, in particular those with pastoral ways, attempted to eliminate large carnivores as threats to life and property. Brown bears (Ursus arctos) and wolves (Canis lupus) were consequently extirpated from much of their range in Europe and in North America south of Canada. Efforts to protect brown bears began in the late 1880s in some European countries and population reintroductions and augmentations are ongoing. They are less controversial than in North America. On the other hand, there are no wolf introductions, as has occurred in North America, and Europeans have a more negative attitude towards wolves. Control of predators to enhance ungulate harvest varies. In Western Europe, landowners own the hunting rights to ungulates. In the formerly communistic Eastern European countries and North America, hunting rights are held in common, although this is changing in some Eastern European countries. Wolf control to increase harvests of moose (Alces alces) occurs in parts of North America and Russia; bear control for similar reasons only occurs in parts of North America. Surprisingly, bears and wolves are not controlled to increase ungulates where private landowners have the hunting rights in Europe, although wolves were originally exterminated from these areas. Both the inability of scientific research to adequately predict the effect of predator control on ungulate populations and a shift in public attitudes toward large carnivores have resulted in an accelerating number of challenges to predator management in places where it is still espoused. Utilitarian attitudes towards wildlife are declining in Western cultures and people now increasingly recognize the intrinsic value of wildlife, including large predators. In the future, agencies responsible for managing resident wildlife will face increased pressure to balance the needs of the hunting public with the desires of non-hunting publics. We suggest that in the next century we will witness a continued shift in how wildlife agencies manage both moose and large carnivores. More attention will be paid to maintaining and restoring intact ecosystems and less toward sustainable yield of meat.

... Huber, Ovidiu Ionescu, Martin Kassa, Ilpo Koyola, Thomas Komberec, Petr Koubek, Arild Landa, Clifford Martinka, Yorgos Mertzanis, Branko Micevski, Ion Micu, Francois Moutou, Javier Naves, Henryk Okarma, Milan Paunovic, Valdis Pilats, Stavri Pllaha, Mario Possilico, William ...

What is it like to rehabilitate sun bears in the rainforests of Malaysia? Why were sloth bears trained to dance? What does Chinese medicine have to do with black bears in North America?

Skilled grassroots activists, dedicated sanctuary attendants, determined scholars--those working to protect the world's eight bear species from Viet Nam to Vermont--come together in Bear Necessities to explore pressures that threaten the world's remaining bears, and to offer a tapestry of possibilities for protecting and preserving these endangered yet much-loved beings. This diverse collection of approachable, engaging essays is an important new addition to literature for those interested in learning more wilderness and wildlife around the world, especially bears.

Abstract: There is controversy in British Columbia regarding how dangerous bears are. Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) population estimates range from 10,000-13,000; black bears (U. americanus), 120,000-160,000. From 1960-97, significantly fewer grizzly bears inflicted ...

Honeybee colonies are declining in some parts of the world. This may have important consequences for the pollination of crops and native plant species. In Spain, as in other parts of Europe, land abandonment has led to a decrease in the number of non professional beekeepers, which aggravates the problem of honeybee decline as a result of bee diseases In this study, we investigated the effects of honeybees on the pollination of three native plant species in northern Spain, namely wildcherry Prunus avium L., hawthorn Crataegus monogyna Jacq., and bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus L. We quantified fruit set of individuals from the target species along transects established from an apiary outwards. Half the samples were bagged in a nylon mesh to avoid insect pollination. Mixed-effects models were used to test the effect of distance to the apiary on fruit set in non-bagged samples. The results showed a negative significant effect of distance from the apiary on fruit set for hawthorn and bilberry, but no significant effects were detected for wildcherry. This suggests that the use of honeybees under traditional farming practices might be a good instrument to increase fruit production of some native plants. This may have important consequences for wildlife conservation, since fruits, and bilberries in particular, constitute an important feeding resource for endangered species, such as the brown bear Ursus arctos L. or the capercaillie Tetrao urogallus cantabricus L.

The brown bear (Ursus arctos) population in Estonia is a part of the large fragmented Eurasian population, constituting a piece of its north- westernmost branch. The large forested region in northeastern Estonia has been a core area for bears since the Holocene. Although half of the country is covered by forest, suitable habitats for bears are limited. Extensive forest clearance

The Swedish carnivore policy goal for the four large carnivoreswolverine (Gulo gulo), wolf (Canis lupus), brown bear (Ursus arctos) and lynx (Lynx lynx)is to ensure a minimum viable population on a long-term basis. To reach this goal the policy restricts population regulation activities, like hunting (prohibited for wolverine and wolf and restricted for brown bear and lynx) in Sweden. For owners of semi-domesticated (i.e. reindeer), and domesticated (livestock) animals this policy and the existence of individuals of these four species results in externalities associated with predation. This paper presents econometric estimates of the predation and the social costs for these four species, based on ecological models of functional response. The data on costs is based on compensation provided to livestock owners by the Swedish government. The paper also applies these econometric estimates to predict the social cost per species when the population goals of the Swedish carnivore policy are reached. Based on out our model the wolverine and the lynx will impose the highest marginal, as well as total costs on society, given the current policy goals. The wolf is an efficient predator, but due to its geographical distribution in Sweden, its social costs are less than anticipated. The brown bear is largely omnivorous, thus resulting in relatively low social costs.

Past empirical benefit measures and other information originally obtained through primary data collection can be used for assessing and analyzing current management and policy actions. This use of past valuation information for current policy analysis is called benefit transfer. In this report, we present information from our database of 1239 consumer surplus estimates usable for benefit transfer that we created from our extensive literature review. The outdoor recreation use value database spans from 1967 through 2003 with activities ranging from birdwatching and picnicking to rock climbing and snorkeling. A park manager or other planner could easily use the information from our database to estimate consumer surplus values for a park, region, or activity, separately, or in combination. For instance, consumer surplus per person per day for wildlife viewing is US$35.30. However, if you are interested in a specific area, such as Alaska, you would find that the consumer surplus for wil...

Individual identification was assessed for 30 brown bears (Ursus arctos) from the endangered Apennine population in central Italy, mostly through non-invasive sampling. Shed hairs were used as a source of DNA to obtain single genotype profiling at 12 microsatellite loci. Average expected heterozygosity (0.438) and mean number of alleles per locus (2.2) showed that the level of genetic diversity was one of the lowest recorded for brown bear populations across their European and North American ranges. A large portion of the original genetic variation may have been lost through random genetic drift during the recent period of isolation. The level of genetic variability proved sufficient to identify the bears individually by using nine microsatellite loci. The probability that two animals shared by chance the same multilocus genotype was estimated to be 1 in 100. Despite the recent history of small population size, the average relatedness indicated that the majority of individuals are not first-order relatives. Simulated paternity tests showed that a 12-loci genotype may be necessary to assign paternity with an 80-95% confidence level. Lack of genetic diversity, as well as the maintenance of an adequately effective number, may seriously jeopardise the long-term survival of this population. Furthermore, high mortality rates, poaching and encroachment by human activities represent immediate, urgent concerns. A population increase through enforced protection and habitat restoration is recommended. Presently, restocking with bears from other source populations should be discouraged to avoid genetic extinction. Non-invasive sampling provided reliable population and individual genetic data. Microsatellite genotyping proved a valuable genetic tagging method and a feasible alternative to conventional field counts for the brown bear in central Italy.

According to the Habitats Directive of the European Union, a favorable conservation status for the brown bear (Ursus arctos) should be targeted at the population level in large contiguous habitats such as the Alps, the largest mountain range in Europe. However, in most of the Alps brown bears are extinct and habitat suitability in these areas is often questionable. For this paper, radio-tracking data from four projects with 42 individual bears was compiled to assess habitat suitability. Discrete-choice models with random bear effects were fitted and compared to results obtained from compositional analysis and logistic regression. Sound definition of the available area in the discrete-choice model turned out to be essential. Brown bears showed a preference for forested and steep habitats and an avoidance of roads.Results from the three approaches were used to predict habitat suitability across the entire range of the Eastern Alps. Minimum potential population size was projected based on observed densities in Trentino and Central Austria, and ranged from 1228 to 1625 individuals, with 518–686 mature bears. This would satisfy a favorable conservation status. The developed methodology also has wide applicability to quantification of habitat suitability and potential population size in other cases where species are at risk.

Large carnivores, such as brown bears, are focal species for conservation efforts. Historically, brown bears were persecuted in Europe for centuries before their gradual elimination from much of Western Europe. In contrast, large carnivore populations in North America were eradicated within two centuries in the east and within a few decades in the west. After a change towards conservation-oriented management in the 20th century, many bear populations are again increasing on both continents. Europe is seemingly less suited (i.e. higher human densities, greater habitat alteration and landscape fragmentation) than in North America, however bears seem to respond faster to conservation measures in Europe. We analyzed ecological and historical factors that may affect differences in reproductive allocation (mean litter size in relation to mean adult female body mass) and help explain why different brown bear populations react differently to conservation measures. The results indicated that mean litter size increased significantly with mean adult female body mass and a long persecution history. Our results suggest that high and long-term rates of nonselective harvesting can change life-history traits of large mammals, as has also been shown by modeling, but only has been documented for morphological traits. Incidentally, this ''ghost of persecution past'' may have helped some brown bear populations to be more productive and therefore to respond more positively to protective management policies than populations with short exploitation histories.

We observed differences in den types, den site characteristics, and chronology of denning between radiocollared brown bears (Ursus arctos) and Asiatic black bears (U. thibetanus) on and near the Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Zapovednik in the Russian Far East during 1993-2002. Of 27 Asiatic black bear dens, 17 (63%) were in hollow trees, 6 (22%) in ground nests, 3 (11%) in caves

Aim Middle East brown bears (Ursus arctos syriacus Hemprich and Ehrenberg, 1828) are presently on the edge of extinction. However, little is known of their genetic diversity. This study investigates that question as well as that of Middle East brown bear relationships to surrounding populations of the species.

Prey usually adjust anti-predator behavior to subtle variations in perceived risk. However, it is not clear whether adult large carnivores that are virtually free of natural predation adjust their behavior to subtle variations in human-derived risk, even when living in human-dominated landscapes. As a model, we studied resting-site selection by a large carnivore, the brown bear (Ursus arctos), under diVerent spatial and temporal levels of human activity. We quantiWed horizontal and canopy cover at 440 bear beds and 439 random sites at diVerent distances from human settlements, seasons, and times of the day. We hypothesized that beds would be more concealed than random sites and that beds would be more concealed in relation to humanderived risk. Although human densities in Scandinavia are the lowest within bear ranges in Western Europe, we found an eVect of human activity; bears chose beds with higher horizontal and canopy cover during the day (0700-1900 hours), especially when resting closer to human settlements, than at night (2200-0600 hours). In summer/fall (the berry season), with more intensive and dispersed human activity, including hunting, bears rested further from human settlements during the day than in spring (pre-berry season). Additionally, day beds in the summer/fall were the most concealed. Large carnivores often avoid humans at a landscape scale, but total avoidance in human-dominated areas is not possible. Apparently, bears adjust their behavior to avoid human encounters, which resembles the way prey avoid their predators. Bears responded to Wne-scale variations in human-derived risk, both on a seasonal and a daily basis.

The risk of infanticide may alter foraging decisions made by females, which otherwise would have been based on nutritional requirements and forage quality and availability. In systems where meat resources are spatially aggregated in late summer and fall, female brown bears ( Ursus arctos) would be faced with a trade-off situation. The need of reproductive females to accumulate adequate fat stores would likely result in a decision to frequent salmon streams and consume the protein- and lipid-rich spawning salmon. In contrast, aggregations of bears along salmon streams would create conditions of high risk of infanticide. We investigated consumption of salmon by brown bears on Admiralty and Chichagof Islands in Southeast Alaska from 1982 to 2000 using stable isotope analysis and radiotelemetry. While nearly all males (22 of 23) consumed relatively large amounts of salmon (i.e., >10% relative contribution to seasonal diet), not all females ( n =56) did so. Five of 26 females for which we had reproductive data, occupied home ranges that had no access to salmon and thus did not consume salmon when they were mated or accompanied by young. Of females that had access to salmon streams ( n =21), all mated individuals ( n =16) had δ15N values indicative of salmon consumption. In contrast, 4 out of 16 females with cubs avoided consuming salmon altogether, and of the other 12, 3 consumed less salmon than they did when they were mated. For 11 of 21 females with access to salmon streams we had data encompassing both reproductive states. Five of those altered foraging strategies and exhibited significantly lower values of δ15N when accompanied by young than when mated, while 6 did not. Radiotelemetry data indicated that females with spring cubs were found, on average, further away from streams during the spawning season compared with females with no young, but both did not differ from males and females with yearlings and 2-year-olds. Females with young that avoided salmon streams were significantly lighter indicating that female choice to avoid consumption of salmon carries a cost that may translate to lower female or cub survivorship. The role of the social hierarchy of males and females, mating history, and paternity in affecting the risk of infanticide and foraging decisions of female brown bears merit further investigation.

In sub-Arctic and north-temperate ecosystems, opportunistic carnivores, such as black bears (Ursus americanus) and brown bears (Ursus arctos), are active on the landscape for a shorter period annually than sympatric gray wolves (Canis lupus). Therefore, bear movement patterns and habitat use might be expected to be more deliberate and of greater consequence, in terms of energy acquisition, than those of predators not undergoing hibernation. Habitat choices concerning feeding, bedding, and denning grounds made by black bears therefore should reflect seasonal abundance and distribution of vegetation and key prey items as these are sites where bears remain and forage for prolonged periods of time. We recorded the movement patterns of 6 GPS-collared black bears from den emergence to onset of moose (Alces alces) parturition in 2003. Over approximately 3 weeks prior to parturition, results from average distance calculations suggest that black bears moved closer to probable moose calving-site habitat. Additionally, the seasonal habitat use by black bears surrounding dens reflected the same trend for areas where cow moose gave birth in spring 2003, with a propensity to use needleleaf forest more than any other habitat.

The Apennine brown bear (Ursus arctos marsicanus) is an endangered subspecies endemic to Italy, where a small population, estimated at 40-50 bears, inhabits a human-dominated landscape. Although little is known of the ecology of this population, habitat loss and fragmentation often has been considered one of the main threats for small and endangered populations. To assess habitat availability at the landscape scale, we used a distribution model to compare historical, present, and future land-cover suitability for the Apennine brown bear population in central Italy. The 4 models are based on 3 existing land-cover maps (1960, 1990, and 2000) and 1 simulated map for 2020, obtained from a cellular-automata Markov-chain land-transition model. We also compared changes in human population density as a surrogate for human pressures on bear habitat, and we measured the contribution of protected areas to the bear's conservation. Our results show that, at the landscape level and assuming that current human population trends continue in the future, land-cover suitability does not seem to be an issue or priority. The current negative trend of this population, despite opposite trends in land-cover suitability, suggests that conservation efforts should focus more on direct actions aimed at reducing human-caused mortality and enhancing population expansion into suitable unoccupied areas.

We evaluated the potential for reducing livestock conflicts within a bear (Ursus arctos) conservation zone by replacing sheep with cattle. We interviewed cattle farmers and veterinarians and investigated livestock and depredation statistics from governmental land-use and wildlife management in Hedmark County, south-eastern Norway. This county borders a reproducing brown bear population in Sweden and already contains several resident male brown

Noninvasive genetic methods can be used to estimate animal abundances and offer several advantages over conventional methods. Few attempts have been made, however, to evaluate the accuracy and precision of the estimates. We compared four methods of estimating population size based on fecal sampling. Two methods used rarefaction indices and two were based on capture-mark-recapture (CMR) estimators, one combining genetic and field data. Volunteer hunters and others collected 1904 fecal samples over 2 consecutive years in a large area containing a well-studied population of brown bears (Ursus arctos). On our 49,000-km 2 study area in south-central Sweden, population size estimates ranged from 378 to 572 bears in 2001 and 273 to 433 bears in 2002, depending on the method of estimation used. The estimates from the best model in the program MARK appeared to be the most accurate, based on the minimum population size estimate from radio-marked bears in a subsection of our sampling area. In addition, MARK models included heterogeneity and temporal variation in detection probabilities, which appeared to be present in our samples. All methods, though, incorrectly suggested a biased sex ratio, probably because of sex differences in detection probabilities and low overall detection probabilities. The population size of elusive animals can be estimated reliably over large areas with noninvasive genetic methods, but we stress the importance of an adequate and well-distributed sampling effort. In cases of biased sampling, calibration with independent estimates may be necessary. We recommend that this noninvasive genetic approach, using the MARK models, be used in the future in areas where sufficient numbers of volunteers can be mobilized.

Between 1960 and 1998, bears caused 42 serious or fatal human injuries in the Province of Alberta---29 (69%) by grizzly (brown) bears (Ursus arctos) and 13 (31%) by American black bears (U. americanus). Considering Alberta&#39;s estimated bear population figures---about 1,000 grizzly bears and 38,000-39,000 black bears---these raw numbers suggest the extent to which grizzly bears are the more dangerous of

Wezmeh Cave is located on the northeastern edge of the Islamabad plain, a high intermontane valley in the western-central Zagros. In 1999 a disturbed but large faunal assemblage was recovered from this site. The abundant and extremely diverse faunal spectra present at Wezmeh Cave has highlighted the importance of this assemblage. Carnivore remains constitute the bulk of the assemblage; red fox (Vulpes vulpes) has the highest number of identified specimens followed by spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), brown bear (Ursus arctos), wolf (Canis lupus), felids (lion, leopard, lynx/caracal and wildcat), mustelids (badger, polecat, marten) and viverrids (mongoose). Artiodactyls (bovid, cervid, suid), equids, rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sp.) and small animals (Cape hare, porcupine, tortoise, snake, birds) are also present. According to U-series dating, the site was occupied from around 70 ka BP through to sub-recent periods by carnivores. Amongst this rich assemblage, a human fossil tooth was also found and dated by non-invasive spectrometry gamma dating to 20-25 ka BP. A preliminary zooarchaeological and taphonomic study shows that Wezmeh Cave was used by multiple carnivore species, a unique phenomenon in the Zagros Mountains in particular and southwest Asia in general.

Conservation shortcuts such as umbrella species have been long used for regional protection of species whose distributions are poorly known. Although the European large carnivores—brown bear, gray wolf, and Eurasian lynx—might seem to be robust candidates as umbrella species, their actual effectiveness has been challenged. We used 10-km resolution distribution maps of mammals (n = 10) and birds (n = 55) of European conservation concern in the Romanian Carpathians, and a temporal sequence of land cover maps (1990, 2000, and 2006) to examine: (1) the spatial overlap in distribution between large carnivores and bird and mammal species of conservation concern, (2) changes in forest cover for the Romanian Carpathians during the post-communist period in relation to the distribution of species, and (3) priority conservation areas using carnivores as umbrella species. Approximately 55% of the bird and 80% of mammals species included in this study would potentially benefit from using large carnivores as conservation surrogates. The changes in forest cover during 1990–2006 were concentrated in the Eastern Carpathians, where up to 45% of the forest per mapping unit was clearcut during the study period. Implicitly, the areas of occupancy of the background species were most disturbed by clearcutting in the Eastern Carpathians. We propose that the large carnivores could act temporary as umbrella species in areas that are still relatively undisturbed, such as Southern and Southwestern Carpathians. This alternative conservation strategy will allow time for (1) the new established protected areas to start efficiently and (2) the forestry practices to switch from mostly uncontrolled clearcutting, lacking landscape scale management to ecologically-based practices.