Effects of grizzly bear predation on muskoxen in northeastern Alaska

Muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) are thought to be highly effective at defending themselves from predators. However, a decline in muskox abundance in northeastern Alaska, USA, that coincided with several instances of grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) prédation observed during 2000-2006 raised concerns about the effects of predation on this population. In response, from 2007 to 2011 we […]

Evaluation of intercept feeding to reduce livestock depredation by grizzly bears

Supplemental and diversionary feeding can reduce conflicts between wildlife and people. However, feeding also can increase species abundance, survival, and reproductive success, which might increase human-wildlife conflicts. In southwestern Alberta, Canada, the provincial government fed road-killed ungulates to grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) each spring during 1998-2013 attempting to reduce spring depredation of livestock by grizzly […]

Demographic trends of a harvested American black bear population in northwestern South Carolina

As American black bears (Ursus americanus) reoccupy portions of the eastern United States, it is important to implement sustainable management practices based in a strong understanding of the dynamics of these recovering populations as they expand into areas with increasing anthropogenic pressures. We used the Downing population reconstruction technique on harvest records to establish baseline […]

Is diversionary feeding an effective tool for reducing human-bear conflicts? Case studies from North America and Europe

Diversionary feeding uses food to lure animals away from areas where they are unwanted or could cause conflicts with people. With bears (Ursidae) increasingly attracted to human food sources worldwide, diversionary feeding represents a seemingly logical and publicly acceptable means of alleviating conflicts. Feeding wildlife is widely practiced in Europe to enhance hunting and reduce […]

Endoparasites of brown bears in Eastern Transylvania, Romania

Limited information is currently available on the parasite fauna of brown bears (Ursus arctos) in Transylvania, Romania. During 2011-2015 we identified endoparasites from 211 scat samples collected from free-ranging bears and 37 samples from organ tissue of adult individuals harvested by hunters in Eastern Transylvania. We found endoparasites in 40.7% of samples overall; 37.9% of […]

Diet of Asiatic black bear in its westernmost distribution range, southern Iran

We opportunistically collected and analyzed 80 scats of the Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) from den entrances and other areas at 2 sites within Hormozgan Province, Iran, from March 2010 to February 2011. We identified 27 food items dominated by cultivated date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) fruit, oriental hornet (Vespa orientalis), and Christ’s thorn jujube (Ziziphus […]

Counts of unique females with cubs in the Apennine brown bear population, 2006-2014

Brown bears (Ursus arctos marsicanus) in the Apennines, central Italy, survive in a precarious conservation status but the reproductive performance of the population has never been formally assessed. Each year, from 2006 to 2014, we conducted surveys of females with cubs (FWC) to estimate the minimum number of female bears that reproduced and annual productivity […]