A study was conducted in northeastern Minnesota from 1986-1989 to determine the feaşibility of habituating black bears (Ursus americanus) to observers for behavioral and ecological research. Of 18 males and 8 females that repeatedly visited an artificial feeding site in the presence of humans, 32-year-old females were radio-collared for further habituation away from the site. The 3 females were repeatedly located, fed, and accompanied at various locations in their territories. After 50-100 hours of this additional contact, each bear accepted human presence and mostly ignored observers that followed 1-10 m behind. The bears were no longer fed in their territories except for the feeding of scat markers for digestion studies. The bears were observed for 24- or 48-hour periods approximately weekly as they matured, reproduced, and raised cubs. While being followed, they foraged, napped, slept through nights, showed REM and non-REM sleep, mated, played, nursed their cubs, captured young animals, maintained territories, marked bear trees, prepared dens, and began hibernation. They relied on natural foods and showed activity and movement patterns similar to daily and annual patterns of 103 non-habituated bears that were radio-tracked previously in approximately the same area. A field computer with an internal clock was programmed to aid in the recording of activities, habitat use, food consumption, and weather. A personal computer was programmed to sort and tabulate the data and calculate 1) time spent in each activity, 2) time spent in each cover type, 3) number of bites taken of each food in each cover type, and 4) time spent in each activity and cover type in each weather condition. The computer calculated these time-activity budgets for single 24-hour observation periods or for any combination of observation periods specified. Problems of excessive hunting loss, habitual nuisance behavior, or appreciable observer injury did not occur. Study results were directly useful to forest managers for identification of opportunity areas for habitat preservation or improvement. Results provided new insights into black bear diet, bioenergetics, foraging strategies, activity patterns, sociobiology, communication, and bear-human interactions. Drawbacks were few study animals and limited study area. Comparative studies are needed in new locations, involving additional age and sex classes, additional physiological data, and additional behavior regimes such as might be exhibited by translocated bears, nuisance bears, or bears whose ranges have been altered by fire, development, insect defoliation, or extensive timber management.
- Volume 8
- Issue
- Pages 321-327
- Publication Date 1 January 1990
- DOI 10.2307/3872935
- File Size 328.38 KB
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