The Experience and Exchange Grants Program was initiated by IBA in 2004 to enable biologists to participate in project work and training exchanges. IBA recognizes that working visits to other projects offer biologists and wildlife managers enormous opportunities for learning, sharing expertise, collaborating in on-site problem solving, technical training, and professional growth. Moreover, these experiences broaden perspective and understanding of the biological and cultural context within which bear conservation programs must operate in different regions. Bears benefit when biologists spend more time applying shared knowledge and less time re-inventing the wheel with each new project. This program funds travel for participants in well-conceived Experience and Exchange projects.
The WCB Research Foundation, in partnership with the Maharashtra Forest Department and supported by the International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA) through its Experience and Exchange Grant, has been conducting field-based training on “Advances in Wildlife Research with special emphasis on Sloth Bear Conservation in India.” Since 2022–23, this program has introduced contemporary research and monitoring techniques to young researchers and frontline forest staff, fostering practical skills and conservation awareness for all four bear species in India. In its latest five-day session, 30 research students from nine Indian states and Sri Lanka, along with 20 forest staff from Maharashtra, participated to gain hands-on experience, exchange knowledge, and strengthen problem-solving and communication skills, contributing to a growing community of practice in bear conservation. The IBA Experience and Exchange Grant for organizing this training is not only a financial support, but creating a great impact in the field of bear research and conservation in India. This training is now popular in India as “WCB-IBA Bear Training” through which more students and young conservation professionals have started their career for research and conservation of bears in India.
The IBA grant is instrumental in making this training possible by providing essential funding and resources that facilitate high-quality educational experiences for participants. This support enables the organization of hands-on fieldwork and the inclusion of expert presentations, thereby enhancing the overall impact of the training on bear research and conservation efforts in India.
The Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus) is the only bear species in South America and plays a key ecological role across Andean ecosystems. However, monitoring wild populations remains challenging due to remote and rugged terrain, which limits the collection of quantitative data on body size and condition without invasive capture methods.
To address this gap, we developed a non-invasive methodology that integrates camera trapping with morphometric description. This approach allows us to estimate body size and body condition from images, providing valuable indicators of population status and habitat quality across different landscapes in Peru and Ecuador.
“Thank you, Donors! The IBA Experience & Exchange Grant is enabling the expansion of a non-invasive method to other Andean bear research teams in Ecuador to assess it as a practical tool for morphometric analysis of wild Andean bear populations, providing an initial assessment of population health and habitat quality across the species’ range. This experience will be multifaceted, combining training sessions, fieldwork, data collection, and collaborative analysis. Through international collaboration, this project strengthens conservation capacity in the management of this bear species.”
The IBA grant is instrumental in making this training possible by providing essential funding and resources that facilitate high-quality educational experiences for participants. This support enables the organization of hands-on fieldwork and the inclusion of expert presentations, thereby enhancing the overall impact of the training on bear research and conservation efforts in India.
