Field Tests of Potential Polar Bear Repellents

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Field tests of potential repellents were made on free-ranging polar bears (Ursus maritimus) near Churchill, Manitoba, from 11 October through 12 November 1978. Polar bears were attracted to an observation/testing area with sardine baits at 11 sites. Commercial dog repellents and household chemicals were tested for their ability to keep bears from visiting baited sites, recorded sounds were tested for driving bears from a baited site, and a loud freon horn was tested in seminatural encounters with the observer. Bears made 294 visits to the chemical sites, 55 visits to the acoustic site, and the freon horn was tested 31 times. Most bears (81%) were repelled with the horn, but the behavioral reactions to the taped sounds varied. The chemical repellents did not prevent bears from visiting the baited sites, but bears spent significantly less time at the treated sites than at untreated controls. Bears stayed at the control sites for an average of 420 sec (SD = 335 sec), but left the treated sites after an average of 98-317 sec (SD = 87-370 sec) depending on the chemical.