IBN February 2005
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International Bear News Quarterly Newsletter of the International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA) and the IUCN/SSC Bear Specialist Group February 2005 vol. 14, no. 1 © Andrés E. Bracho S. Vieu at Parke Tropikal (see page 34). IBA website: www.bearbiology.org/www.bearbiology.com Table of Contents Council News 3 From the President 5 Research & Conservation Grants Program — Editor’s Thank Yous — Newsletter Online 6 Part II: Ways to Donate Money to Bears 8 In Memory: Ralph Flowers 1928-2004 Bear Specialist Group 9 Sri Lanka Sloth Bear Expert Team 2004 Update 11 Bear Specialist Group Coordinating Committee Eurasia 12 Workshop on the Recent Black Bear-human Conflicts in Japan 13 Tibetan Black Bear on Verge of Extinction in China 14 Do Giant Panda Nature Reserves Serve the Needs of Asiatic Black Bears? 16 Bear Trees in North Taiga Landscapes of the Ilich Basin 18 Fatal Bear Attacks on Humans in Romania Website: Slovakia Bear Facts, Myths & Media 19 Bulgaria Bear Management 21 Greece: Monitoring Project Update on the Egnatia Highway Construction 22 Monitoring the Brown Bear in the Italian Alps Through Non-invasive Genetic Sampling Last Female Pyrenean Brown Bear Shot Americas 23 Sierra de Portuguesa Andean Bear Pilot Study 24 The Life History of an Extraordinary Female Barren-ground Grizzly Bear 25 Barren-ground Grizzly Bear Shot in Yellowknife, NWT 26 Central Canada: Ontario Polar/Black Bear Projects, Manitoba Black Bear-human Conflicts Southwest USA: Revising Management Strategies in Arizona, New Mexico Tidbits 27 American Black Bear Hibernating in Bald Eagle Nest 28 New Jersey Bear Contraception — Court Decides: No New Jersey Bear Hunt 29 Southeast USA: Florida Nuisance Research, Florida Population Study, Georgia Black Bears Captive Bears 32 Full Circle in China 33 First Successful Sloth Bear Birth at Colombo Zoo, Sri Lanka 34 The Adventures of the “Bears of Montecristo” or How Four Old Bears Escaped from an Island 36 Idaho Black Bear Rehab Student Forum 37 Truman Student List Serve — Thunder! 38 Student Spotlight: Andreas Zedrosser, Austria Publications 39 Contents: Ursus 16(1) 2005 — Wildlife Accident Reporting System 1983-2002 Bears in Culture 40 Pihoqahiak: The Ever-wandering One Opportunities 41 Funding for Field-based Wildlife Conservationists — AZA Grants Volunteers Needed for Wyoming Bear Habitat Research Events 42 18th Eastern Black Bear Workshop, Florida, USA 43 Italy 16th IBA Conference — Registration — Travel Grants 48 AZA: Professional Training, Regional Meetings, Annual Conference 49 International Wildlife Film Festival First European Congress of Conservation Biology Ninth Western Black Bear Workshop, New Mexico, USA 50 Japan 17th IBA Conference 51 Mexico 18th IBA Conference IBA 52 IBA Officers & Council 53 IBA Membership Application 55 IBA Publications Order Form Back About IBA & Mission Statement International Bear News, ISSN #1064-1564, quarterly newsletter of the International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA). Editor: Teresa DeLorenzo, Design: Cynthia Cheney, 10907 NW Copeland St., Portland, Oregon 97229-6145, USA. Phone (503) 643-4008, Fax (503) 643-4072, Email [email protected], Website www.bearbiology.com/www.bearbiology.org. Back issues are available at www.bearbiology.com. Editorial Policy International Bear News welcomes articles about biology, conservation and management of the world’s eight bear species. Submis- sions of 750-1500 words are preferred, and photos, drawings and charts are appreciated. Submissions to [email protected] are preferred, otherwise mail or fax to the address above. IBA reserves the right to accept, reject and edit submissions. Deadline for the May 2005 issue is April 15, 2005. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this issue. Artwork is copyrighted—do not reproduce without permission. Thank you to CityGraphics and Imaging, Portland, Oregon, USA for generously discounting the cost of printing. Membership Use the form on the page 53 to order or renew memberships, make donations, and update member information. 2 International Bear News February 2005 vol. 14, no. 1 Council News From the President Harry Reynolds Area in the Gobi Desert of southern closely related to brown bears but it Alaska Department of Fish and Game Mongolia. Their distribution is is presently unknown whether they 1300 College Road centered around 3 oases complexes are distinct enough to merit separate Fairbanks, AK 99701, USA in the area. Although they may have species designation or are closely Phone (907) 459-7238 persisted in this extreme environ- related to the brown bears found Fax (907) 451-9723 ment at about this population size about 200 km distant in the Tien Email [email protected] for as long as 35 years, present Shan mountains of China. Pelletized [email protected] drought conditions and other factors livestock fodder has been provided to indicate that further declines may be bears during spring at 2-3 sites in an After 4 days of temperatures less imminent. effort to supplement diets because of than –40 degrees, made more frigid The people of Mongolia view the the possibility that available food by the ice fog that accompanies cold Gobi bear as a national treasure and resources limit the population. weather, it cleared yesterday and life are dedicated to bringing it back Workshop recommendations is good again. Although the tempera- from the edge of extinction. To this included six broad actions that tures are still cold, the ice fog is gone end, Minister Barsbold of the should be accomplished in the very and last night the aurora seemed to Mongolian Ministry of Nature and near future. In addition, a total of 27 cover a fourth of the sky. It shim- Environment convened a workshop specific recommendations for action mered in a vast river in the sky of in Ulaanbaatar during 2-3 November were developed by workgroups for undulating light, twisting and rolling 2004 to develop strategies and (1) Population Assessment and to a distant single point far to the recommendations for conservation Monitoring; (2) Genetics and northwest. All the while, female and enhancement of the population. Demographics; and (3) Human bears across the northern hemisphere Organized under the auspices of the Dimensions. Complete International are giving birth and are nestled Ministry of Nature and Environment, Gobi Bear Conservation and Manage- within the warm micro-climate of a the United Nations Development ment Workshop Recommendations bed inside their dens. Cubs born now Program, and the Wildlife Conserva- can be viewed on the IBA website, will help determine the future tion Society, a total of 75 people http://www.bearbiology.org. capacity of population stability, participated, including ministry staff, The dedication and capabilities growth or decline. If the birth and members of the Mongolian Parlia- that Mongolian scientists and bear survival of cubs were the primary ment, Mongolian Academy of specialists bring to this effort are factors driving the status of bear Science experts, NGO staff, national invaluable. They welcomed the populations, few would face the park staff, local environmentalists, opportunity for an interchange of uncertainties of today. It is our job to and international specialists. I bear research and management devise strategies to enable those who attended along with seven other IBA/ experience and expertise from IBA, share the land with bears to be Bear Specialist Group members: Dave the Bear Specialist Group and other accepting, or better yet, be very Garshelis, Djuro Huber, Lydia Kolter, international specialists. It is just this involved in conserving, maintaining, Peter Zahler, Tom McCarthy, Evan sort of interchange that IBA works and ensuring long-term existence of Blumer and Petra Kaczensky. toward in our commitment to the viable bear populations. Maintaining Other than the fact that the world’s remaining bear populations. habitats that support bears means population is small enough so they that ecosystems will remain healthy are at high risk of extinction, most Experience and Exchange with broad components of other information necessary to save Gobi Grants Program wildlife and water resources adequate bears is not known. They appear to IBA Council adopted measures to to sustain them along with human be closely confined to the 3 oases establish a program based on a needs. This should challenge us all. complexes, but it is not known if concept first proposed as part of the there is movement between the Bear Conservation Fund prospectus. Gobi Bears complexes. No data is available to This new IBA-sponsored program is The Gobi bear is critically endan- determine what factors may be designed to help subsidize travel for gered. Available information suggest keeping the population at low levels biologists seeking to broaden their as few as 20-25 individuals exist in or to provide more than a rough understanding of bear conservation, the Great Gobi, a Strictly Protected estimate of numbers. They are increase their technical experience International Bear News February 2005 vol. 14, no. 1 3 Council News From the President, cont’d. and skills, or gain on-site guidance in to benefit bear conservation. Thanks letters for membership lapses, but research design through cooperative to donors and members, we have a instead depends upon notices relationships with other biologists growing grants program to accom- included with individual newsletters. and projects elsewhere in the world. plish our goals and mission. About Traditionally, conferences held in Grants will support either bringing 97% of our income is spent to North America draw many new experienced bear specialists to help accomplish our goals and support members and many continuing train co-workers in another country, the grants program and only about members use the opportunity to pay or to bring a biologist or educator 3% is overhead. IBA has no paid for dues, but during the excellent from a country where a program is staff, and all council members, conference in San Diego, budgetary just beginning to an established officers and other contributors are shortfalls by governments and study site to gain hands-on experi- volunteers.