Litter sizes of brown bears in the Central Alborz Protected Area, Iran
Although smaller than 4,000 km², the Central Aiborz Protected Area (CAPA) is one of the main habitats of brown bear (Ursus arctos) in Iran. During August 2005 to September 2009, we gathered data through direct observations of bears, identifying individual bears by means of age, sex, color, and behavior. We observed bears on 115 occasions. […]
Habitat selection by female American black bears in northern Wisconsin
American black bears (Ursus americanus) are typically described as habitat generalists with a complex, multidimensional relationship with their environment. We used GIS and compositional analysis to examine habitat selection by black bears in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest of northern Wisconsin at 2 spatial scales. To determine home ranges, we used radiotelemetry locations and the 95% […]
Brown bear den site concealment in relation to human activity in Sweden
Brown bears (Ursus arctos) in Scandinavia spend 5-7 winter months in dens. The denning period is a vulnerable time for bears because they are unable to escape from disturbances without losing valuable amounts of energy. Bears normally avoid human infrastructure when denning, but due to an expanding bear population some bears den relatively close to […]
Structural and economic aspects of human-bear conflicts in Greece
Agricultural damage and the resulting negative attitudes of farmers are major issues in the conservation of brown bears (Ursus arctos). We analyzed 3,241 approved compensation claims to gain insight into human-brown bear conflicts in Greece from 1999 to 2006. Damage to livestock was low compared to the number of livestock in an area and affected […]
Isotopic and gross fecal analysis of American black bear scats
Previous studies have demonstrated the potential of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis (SIA) of feces for use in understanding dietary components and sources. These studies suggest that SIA is useful because it is noninvasive and provides more recent dietary information integrated over a shorter time period than SIA of tissues. We sought to determine […]
Dispersal of male bears into peripheral habitats inferred from mtDNA haplotypes
Crop depredation by brown bears (Ursus arctos) in Hokkaido, Japan, has increased over the past 2 decades. With increased depredation, the number of permits issued and the removal of conflict animals have also increased. We hypothesized that peripheral areas adjacent to agricultural lands represent attractive sink-like habitat because of the association between abundant high-quality anthropogenic […]
Are the same bears repeatedly translocated from corn crops in Wisconsin?
American black bear (Ursus americanus) damage to corn crops in northern Wisconsin is managed by capturing and translocating bears away from fields where damage is occurring. Translocating wildlife is often not a preferred wildlife management technique because of the potential return and repeated capture of animals. Hundreds of bears are translocated in Wisconsin annually, but […]
Asiatic black bear-human interactions around Dachigam National Park, Kashmir, India
We assessed patterns of Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus)-human interactions in the peripheral areas of the Dachigam landscape ( 1,000 km²) that encompass Dachigam National Park, Over-Aru Wildlife Sanctuary, and 8 conservation reserves, in Kashmir, India, based on semi-structured interviews with villagers living near the protected areas during 2007-09. We recorded considerable overlap in resource […]
Dancing bears in India: A sloth bear status report
The Kalandar community of South Asia has performed with dancing sloth bears (Melursus ursinus) since the late Vedic era (1000-700 BCE). This illegal profession negatively impacts wild populations because cubs are poached to fuel it. It also raises serious welfare issues for the bears. Poor enforcement, a lack of adequate facilities for confiscated bears, and […]
American black bear predation of an adult white-tailed deer
American black bears (Ursus americanus) are opportunistic omnivores and can be proficient predators of neonate ungulates, but predation of adult ungulates is rare. In November 2009 we investigated a probable black bear predation of a radiocollared, adult (7.5 years old) female whitetailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in a densely vegetated, lowland conifer forest in the Upper […]
