Oso Urs International Bear News Bär Ours Björn MeдBeдb Quarterly Newsletter of the Orso BЄa Bjørn Medved International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA)

Samxe Beer Shashˆ and IUCN/SSC Bear Specialist Group Beruang Bhalou Karhu Bear May 2006 Vol. 15 no. 2

Rumiko Nakashita recently received her PhD. from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology for her work on the feeding history of Asiatic black bears. She is featured in this issue’s Student Spotlight on page 33..

IBA websites: www.bearbiology.org www.bearbiology.com Table of Contents Council News 3 From the President 4 Research and Conservation Grants Opinion 7 Pressure Growing for a Cull on Bears in Slovakia 8 Good Estimates of Density: A Response to Garshelis and McLellan Bear Specialist Group 12 Bear Sighting in Iraq 12 Green Bear in the Desert 14 Recognizing Designatable Units of Bears Below The Species Level for IUCN Red Listing 15 Bear Specialist Group Workshop 15 Bear Specialist Group Expert Teams Eurasia 16 Conservation Management Convention on Cantabrian Brown Bears 16 Brown Bear Management Plan, Bulgaria 17 Bear Behaviors Potentially Contributing to the Fatal Mauling of Two Photographers Americas 19 Alaska Bears 19 North Central U. S. 20 Southeast and South Central U. S. 21 Northwest U. S. 22 Canada Captive Bears 23 Knee-Deep in Bear Scat 25 Learning Adaptation in Caged and Enriched Environments: Student Forum 28 Student Forum Activity 28 Hai! Japan Gets Ready For IBA Students! 30 Lodging for Students at Nagano 30 Your Proposal Is Your Friend 33 Student Spotlight: Rumiko Nakashita, Japan Bears in Culture 33 Bear Hugs Publications 35 Recent Bear Publications 35 8th Western Black Bear Workshop Proceedings Communications 35 Polar Bears: a Guide to Safety 36 Documentary Bear Series Collects Third Award Events 37 42nd North American Moose Conference 37 First European Congress of Conservation Biology 37 17th International Conference on Bear Research and Management 39 IBA 2006 Japan Registration Form 42 18th International Conference on Bear Research and Management IBA 43 IBA Membership Application 45 IBA Publications Order Form 47 IBA Officers and Council 48 IBA Mission Statement International Bear News, ISSN #1064-1564, quarterly newsletter of the International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA) Editors: Matt Durnin (Managing), Janissa Balcomb (Layout/Design), Jordan Schaul (Correspondence), Jim Tomlin (Production/Distribution), Tanya Rosen (Translation) PO Box 462, Brookeville MD 20833 USA, Phone: +1-415-321-8369, Fax: +1-415-321-8637 Email: [email protected], Websites: 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. Submissions of about 750 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 August 2006 issue is July 5, 2006 Thank you to everyone who contributed to this issue. Artwork is copyrighted – do not reproduce without permission. Membership Use the form on page 43 to order or renew memberships, make donations, and/or update member information.  International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 Council News tions with the objective of increasing 2005. Brown bear control was limited From the President numbers of moose. to a 7000 km2 focus area (2700 mi2) Research has shown that in some within the 28,000 km2 (10,680 mi2) Harry Reynolds areas, predation by black or brown Unit. Participants in the control effort PO Box 80843 bears can be responsible for 13-52% were allowed to kill an unlimited Fairbanks AK 99708, USA of mortality of moose calves during number of brown bears until 60% Phone +1 907-479-5169 the first six months following birth. of the bears in the area were taken. Email: [email protected] Wolf predation on moose populations Hunters could use bait to attract [email protected] occurs year-round. In conjunction brown bears, a practice previously al- with bear predation on calves, moose lowed for black bears but not legal for Spring! Ah, beautiful spring. It is population density can remain at taking brown bears. However, despite early April as I write this—the sun is densities much lower than carry- the management goal of killing up to rising higher in the sky every day and ing capacity for many years. In two 71 brown bears, only two brown bears the snow has begun to melt. Here in studies, brown or black bears were were taken under this program. interior Alaska, we will get some more captured and translocated >200 km During May 2006, the Alaska snow showers before the first anemo- prior to moose calving season, and Board of Game, the regulatory body nes or wild iris emerges, but in six calf survival increased. Increased appointed by the state’s governor, will weeks, summer will have arrived. For survival to yearling age occurred in again act on proposals to substantially now, the first observations have been one study but not the other. In other reduce bear populations in Unit 20e. made of brown bears emerging from studies, road-killed moose not fit for It is likely that once in place, the same dens, but few females with cubs will human consumption were set out in practices will be adopted in many leave dens before early May. Another moose calving areas to divert bears other areas of the state. These propos- summer season will arrive in a flash. from preying on calves. Increases in als were submitted with the belief calf survival were observed when 15.8 that killing more bears will result Controversy in Alaska metric tons/1000 km2 were provided, in more moose that can be taken by While spring is a time of renewal, but not when 9.6 metric tons/1000 hunters. Within Unit 20e, proposals there are clouds of controversy for km2 were set out. include measures to (1) allow the sale bear management in Alaska. Al- As a result of these studies, there of brown bears, a practice that has not though brown and black bears are have been increasing calls from some been legal for over 45 years; (2) allow managed as important and integral hunting organizations, communities, hunters to kill bears on the same day parts of ecosystems, especially in and decision-makers to substantially that they have been airborne in light national parks, management goals reduce both bear and wolf popula- aircraft; (3) include both species of of the State of Alaska vary from area tions in many areas of Alaska. In the bears in the control program, even to area (Polar bears are managed past, regulatory changes designed to when research indicated only brown separately under federal law and reduce bear numbers took the form of bears were an important contributor international treaties). The primary increasing length of hunting seasons, to moose calf mortality; (4) allow bear management goals for black and waiving of tag fees, or allowing hunt- non-resident guided sport hunters to brown bears in specific areas of Alaska ers to take one brown bear annually participate in the control program, include: encouraging viewing and instead of the previous standard of even though control efforts are not photography, allowing hunting under one every four years. considered as a sport hunting activity; remote and uncrowded conditions, One area in which predation by and, (5) enlarge the control program maintaining a reasonable opportunity brown bears and wolves has been to include an area of about 20,000 to hunt large adult males as trophies, identified as important factors in km2. In other areas, proposals include or maintaining the maximum op- keeping moose population numbers measures to (1) allow use of steel traps portunity to engage in bear hunting. at chronically low levels is Game or snares to take either species of However, beginning in the 1980s, Management Unit 20e, in interior bears, again even if only one species an additional goal was established Alaska near the Canadian border. is implicated as a factor in low calf to reduce bear populations whose Hunting seasons and bag limits were survival, and to (2) allow hunters to predation behavior resulted in the very liberal but the hunter kill of decline of ungulate populations that brown bears remained below sustain-  Specific regulations can be viewed at http:// were important for human use. More able yield. In an effort to provide for old-www.legis. state.ak.us/cgi-bin/folioisa. recently, management decisions have dll/aac/query=[jump!3A!275+aac+92!2E115!27]/ intensive management of a moose doc/{@23622}? For Unit 20e, rationale for been made in many areas of the state population, aerial wolf control and a the control program is provided under 5 AAC which are designed to substantially program to substantially reduce the 92.125 Predation Control Implementation reduce brown or black bear popula- bear population was begun during Plans (8).

International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2  Council News take brown bear dependent yearling would best be managed to assure conference in the 3rd year of each offspring or their mothers, despite the continued population sustainability triennial cycle. This means that there high likelihood that if only the mother and appropriate growth. Continued is an available slot to host a confer- is killed, yearling offspring would not use of the best scientific procedures ence in 2009. This can be held in survive. for monitoring the population size, any continent. Please contact me or Even before the efficacy of any of trajectory, production, and mortality any member of Council if you want the measures have been assessed on will be crucial to the future of the additional information. a scientific basis, there has been an population. All this takes money. increased interest in applying them Securing long-term commitment of widely to reduce bear numbers, in the funds by state and federal agencies to Research and belief that if enough bears are killed, acquire data necessary for effective there will always be more moose avail- research and management needs to Conservation Grants able for hunters. be an important consideration for Frederick C. Dean (Chair) IBA submitted a letter of record continued recovered status. The IBA 810 Ballaine Road  to the Alaska Board of Game in review can be viewed on our website . Fairbanks AK 99709-6606, USA 2004 when some of these methods Phone: +1 907-479-6607 were being considered as manage- Fax: +1 907-479-3907  Japan—October 2006 ment practices . IBA has again been Be sure to register for the 17th Email [email protected] requested to submit a response to the International Conference on Bear Board regarding the above proposals. Research and Management that will The Research & Conservation be held in Karuizawa Town, Japan on Grants (RCG) Committee began Delisting the Yellowstone October 2-6, 2006 (see page 37). This screening proposals two weeks later Grizzly Bear first-ever conference to be held in Asia than usual this year due to website As reported in the February 2006 promises to continue in the legacy of problems that may have made get- issue of International Bear News, excellent IBA conferences. Whether ting instructions and forms difficult the US Fish and Wildlife Service has you are engaged in black bear research for some. Tully Hammill and Scott proposed changing the status of the in California, study sloth bears in Sri Risteen, IBA’s retiring and new web- grizzly bears of the Greater Yellow- Lanka, conduct research or monitor masters respectively, did a great job stone Ecosystem from Threatened care of Andean bears in a zoo in Ger- recovering from problems that were to Recovered listing under the US many, or manage human-polar bear not of their making! Endangered Species Act (ESA). The conflicts in Hudson Bay, this confer- As noted in the last issue of the goal of placing any species in ESA ence will help to further your program IBN, we received a wide range of Threatened or Endangered status is for bear conservation. Be there! proposals. Thanks to the generous to devise and follow a plan that will donations that the Bear Conserva- lead to recovery of the population. Conferences in 2008 and tion Fund has received, we ended up Although grizzly bears in the area with $83,700 to work with this year, Beyond a significant increase from previous have surpassed the population and Effectively hosting an IBA confer- years. This was fortunate, since both distribution goals spelled out in the ence requires substantial planning. the average quality of the 26 propos- recovery plan, there were very strong Experience has shown that the process als as well as their combined request and opposing opinions regarding of hosting an outstanding conference of just under $200,000 were notably what might occur in the future and will take a minimum of 2-3 years of higher than in former years. The what would be best for the bears. organization and preparation. The quality aspect was particularly satisfy- Following an intensive review of the 18th IBA conference will be held in an ing to the committee members, but it delisting documents by a committee Americas venue in Monterrey, Mexico makes the selection of recipients more that included Dale McCullough, Fred during October 2007. Several coun- difficult. Allendorf, Andrew Derocher, and tries have indicated interest to host The group worked hard, and I had John Schoen, and bolstered by careful the 2008 Eurasian conference, but no the first round of recommendations by consideration by present and past IBA decision has been made. Although the middle of March. I want to extend Council members, the IBA review conferences are held every 3 years in my thanks once again to Julia Bevins, neither supported nor opposed delist- the Americas and in Eurasia, there Shyamala Ratnayeke, Jörg Rauer, and ing. Instead, we provided a reasoned is opportunity to hold an additional assessment of how the population Gordon Warburton. Then began the  http://www.bearbiology.com/PDF/IBA%2 job of trying to mesh the selections 0Review%20GYE%20grizzly%20delisting%20.  http://www.bearbiology. made by the five members into a set com/akbrd_2004_02_20.htm pdf that could be agreed on by all, both as

 International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 Council News to which proposals should receive sup- single project of the usual sort, but we Diet study of Himalayan brown port and how much the grants should were unanimous in recognizing the bears (Ursus arctos isabellinus) in be. I had the Committee reaction to potential benefit of such a combined Deosai National Park, Pakistan that first composite list within days of effort. We will leave it to the BSG to by using molecular genetic the time it went back to the group. explain the project in full. While we techniques. We tried to accomplish several may not always be able to respond • M. Paulina Viteri – things while selecting proposals. One with grants this large to ET or BSG Genetic diversity and structure was to further the effort which was group requests, we felt both able and among Andean bear populations stated as high priority at the Bear glad to assist this high-priority project in the Condor Bioreserve, Specialist Group’s (BSG) meeting that should have very wide benefits for Ecuador. (M.Sc. student – Univ. at Riva del Garda to recognize the many years to come. Idaho, U.S.A.) importance of getting more complete, Research and Conservation Grants • Siew Te Wong – more current, high quality informa- for 2005 – 2006 are being offered to The effects of selective logging tion on the distribution of all species the following recipients; in some cases on Malayan sun bears and of bears in Asia. Some other aims confirmation of continuing feasibil- bearded pigs in lowland tropical included: (1) continuing our attempt ity will be important. Their project rainforests of Borneo. (Doctoral to respond to the most serious topics are also noted. student – Univ. Montana, U.S.A.) conservation needs, (2) aiding the • Bhupendra Yadav – • Bear Specialist Group (Garshelis completion of work IBA has already Asiatic black bear conservation & McClellan, co-chairs) - been involved with, (3) funding work and management issues in Delineating the distribution and that will increase local support for Langtang National Park and conservation status of Asian and participation in bear research and Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve. bears: finding hotspots, coldspots, conservation work, and (4) supporting (M.Sc. student – Inst. of Forestry, fuzzy spots, and benchmarks. projects which can be expected to Pokhara, Nepal – recent graduate) • Leonid Baskin - have benefits to workers beyond those • Xiaojian Zhu – Forest fragmentation as a limiting in the immediate study location, either Asiatic black bear occupancy factor in brown bear survival and in the form of usable results or as a in Sichuan Province, China distribution in European Russia. model of good work. — distribution mapping, trend • N. P. S. Chauhan - The Committee has been try- monitoring, and discerning Phase II: Status survey of Malayan ing for some time to get the BSG factors related to persistence or sun bear in north-eastern India. and the various Expert Teams (ET) [Pending receipt of additional extirpation. associated with the BSG to submit funding] The Directors of the John Sheldon proposals that have been prepared by • Gabriella Fredriksson - Bevins Fund and all other generous and endorsed by the membership of Indo-Malay language ‘sun bear donors to the Bear Conservation Fund the relevant group. The RCGC will sign survey’ manual for local use. should feel good about the effects often be able to give extra weight to • Shaenandhoa Garcia-Rangel – their donations are having on efforts such group proposals, assuming that Evaluation of the distribution, to promote a better basis for bear con- they address what are considered the habitat, and landscape use of servation and the training of future highest priority issues within the ET’s the Andean bear in Sierra de bear workers around the world. or the BSG’s jurisdiction. This year, Portuguesa, Venezuelan Andes. for the first time, we received such a (Doctoral student – Univ. NOTE regarding Open Relay group proposal; it was from the BSG Cambridge, U.K.) Servers and email: Alaska Com- rather than one of the species-regional • Marci Johnson – munication Systems, as well as many ET’s. This proposal, submitted by the Study the influence of baiting other Internet Service Providers, use Co-chairs Garshelis and McClellan, (for hunting) on the behavior of protocols that will reject email if the involved funding for preparation of the American black bear. (M.Sc. point of origin appears to be what is an Asian bear distribution digital student – Univ. Wisconsin Green called an “open relay.” This is done database and mapping capability to be Bay, U.S.A.) for security and to reduce the huge ready for use by the time of the IBA • Carlos A. López González - amount of unsolicited spam mail. See meeting in Japan in October 2006, as Endangered Mexican black bear the additional information at: http:// well as at a post-conference workshop (Ursus americanus) ecology, www.acsalaska.com/Cultures/en-US/ focused on the project. The RCGC conservation, and management in Personal/Internet/Email+Filtering/ decided to award $22,000 to this proj- the State of Sonora, Mexico. Email+Blocking+FAQs.htm ect; this grant is significantly larger • Muhammed Ali Nawaz - than the normal limit of $15,000 for a

International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2  Council News Table 1a: Distribution of grants by species and geographic region this year: Asia. Northern Asia Southern Asia Southeast Asia All Asia X all species Number Number Number Number SPECIES Total US$ Total US$ Total US$ Total US$ of projects of projects of projects of projects granted granted granted granted funded funded funded funded Multi-spp (BSG) 1 $22,000 Zoo (multi-spp) A. melanoleuca H. malayanus 1 $8,000 2 $14,360 M. ursinus T. ornatus U. americanus U. arctos 2 $11,200 U. maritimus U. thibetanus 1 $5,500 Total 1 $5,500 3 $19,200 2 $14,360 1 $22,000

Zhu Chauhan Fredriks- Bear son Specialist Group Nawaz Wong (Garshelis- McClellan)

Table 1b: Distribution of grants by species and geographic region this year: Americas, Europe, other multi-species. Europe, Scandinavia, North America South America Other Multi-species western Russia SPECIES Number Number Number Number Total US$ Total US$ Total US$ Total US$ of projects of projects of projects of projects granted granted granted granted funded funded funded funded Multi-spp (BSG) Zoo (multi-spp) 0 $0 A. melanoleuca H. malayanus M. ursinus T. ornatus 2 $9,500 U. americanus 2 $8,820 U. arctos 1 $4,320 U. maritimus U. thibetanus Total 2 $8,820 2 $9,500 1 $4,320 0 $0

Johnson Viteri Baskin Lopez- Garcia- Gonzáles Rangel

 International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 Council News Table 1c: Distribution of grants by species this year: Summary. Number of Number of Grant Proportion of proposals proposals funding, SPECIES proposals funded submitted funded total (US$) 1 1 1.00 $22,000 Multi-spp (BSG) 1 0 0.00 – Zoo (multi-spp) 1 0 0.00 – A. melanoleuca 3 3 1.00 $22,360 H. malayanus 3 0 0.00 – M. ursinus 4 2 0.50 $9,500 T. ornatus 5 2 0.40 $8,820 U. americanus 6 3 0.50 $15,520 U. arctos 0 0 NA – U. maritimus 2 1 0.50 $5,500 U. thibetanus 26 12 $83,700 Total

12 (cross-check) $83,700

If you have email rejected with Yahoo or Hotmail. The best solution, an error message that indicates an of course, is to encourage the system open relay problem, you might try administrator for the server you forwarding the message through normally use to configure that system someone who uses a different server so that it does not show up as an open or try using a free mail address such as relay. © Joan Skidmore Opinion NGOs’ concerns and even over-ruling fulfilled: typically only 20-40 bears Pressure Growing the recommendations of its own Na- are shot legally per year, including a for a Cull on Bears tional Park zoologists, senior officials few problem individuals. In addition hinted that quota levels are likely to be to the ban on spring shooting, hunters in Slovakia revised and spring hunting, previously are particularly unhappy that they banned mainly to prevent the killing are not allowed to use meat bait and Robin Rigg of females with dependent cubs, could that usually permits are issued only Slovak Wildlife Society be reintroduced from 2007. for bears up to 100 kg. The latter is a P.O. Box 72, Slovakia has a reservation from measure intended to correct a skew Liptovsky Hradok, the Bern Convention on the Con- in the population toward females and Slovakia 033 01 servation of European Wildlife and young bears that is believed to have Email: [email protected] Natural Habitats, which “permits the been caused by male-biased trophy Web: www.slovakwildlife.org regulation of [bear and wolf] numbers hunting in the 1960s to 1980s. Web: www.medvede.sk without detriment to their survival Prior to the meeting there had and to the functions of these species been mounting pressure from hunt- At the latest state agency bear in the natural ecosystems”. The quota ing advocates in Slovakia to relax management planning meeting, held on bear hunting for several years these restrictions in order to increase on March 7, 2006, there were strong has been 10% of Slovakia’s estimated hunting success and so allow them indications that the State Nature Con- population of about 600-800 bears. to control bear numbers. This has servancy of the Slovak Republic, under Hunters are unhappy that due to been justified by highlighting oc- a new director, is rethinking its policy restrictions on the methods they are casional (mostly defensive) attacks on toward hunting. Apparently ignoring allowed to use the quota is usually not humans, instances of bears feeding

International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2  Opinion

from anthropogenic food sources Largely due to such unresolved J. Andrew Royle such as refuse and damage caused to conflicts between pro-hunting versus USGS Pautuxent Wildlife Research Center agriculture. The European brown bear pro-conservation radicals, efforts to 12 Beech Forest Road is a priority species of the European draft a bear management plan have Laurel MD 20708, USA Union and Slovakia’s bears are listed stalled. A committee established to in Annex IV of Council Directive help implement the recommendations All correspondences should be 92/43/EEC, Conservation of Natural of the Large Carnivore Initiative for directed to Dave Augeri at: Habitats and Wild Fauna and Flora, Europe’s conservation action plans [email protected] giving them strictly protected status. quickly ran into the same difficulties Although the planned “regulation and has been dormant for several In their International Bear News shooting” conducted in Slovakia is months. A related concern is that article (Vol.15:1), Garshelis and really a commercial harvest, according because very little modern scientific McLellan (2006) questioned the to the Habitats Directive a limited research has been done on living wild credibility of occupancy modeling as number of bears may be taken only in bears in Slovakia, there is a great lack it applies to population estimates. We the absence of other satisfactory solu- of information available on which agree that unreliable estimates have tions. This probably at least partially to base management plans. If the been produced with questionable explains why hunting advocates so stalemate cannot be broken, there is a methods and data over the years. We often justify their case in terms of danger that large segments of the pub- also believe that informed debate is a reducing damage and are quick to lic will continue to view lethal control cornerstone of scientific advancement dismiss possible non-lethal preventive as the only solution to bear-human and we are grateful for the opportu- measures. conflicts and so will not implement nity for this discourse. At times the lobby has appeared measures that could protect both Garshelis and McLellan (2006) to be a co-ordinated media campaign them and bears. In the meantime, if structure their case around a brief intended to scare the public into sup- the latest meeting is a reliable guide, paragraph by Augeri (2005a), which porting a cull. For example, a senior it seems that a lack of research results was a general summary for the official of the Slovak Hunting Union may not prevent the authorities from International Bear News (Vol.14:4) recently claimed on national television taking some potentially far-reach- regarding his population estimates of that because bear hair had been found ing decisions, without any informed sun bears for three sites in Indonesia in scats, this showed there are now so public participation. using site-occupancy modeling and many bears in Slovakia that they have data from a 4-year camera trapping to eat each other and, “We cannot rule study. The authors did not refer to or out that such cannibalism will later Good Estimates of cite the original research by Augeri manifest itself in attacks on people”. (2005b) and it appears from their Very few media reports were balanced Density: A Response argument that they relied on the sum- by including the views of credible to Garshelis and mary and had not read the original biologists or conservationists. work. Hence, we submit the following Seeing such claims regularly repeat- McLellan response to help clarify several issues. ed in the media has convinced many members of the public that there Dave M. Augeri & Orthodoxy is Not Fixed really are too many bears and the only Richard P. Reading Garshelis and McLellan (2006) way to reduce the danger of property Division of Conservation Biology first contend that “true” population damage and personal injury is to let Denver Zoological Foundation estimates cannot be generated other hunters kill more of them. Research Denver CO 80205, USA than by conventional methods (i.e., by the Slovak Wildlife Society as part mark-recapture techniques) and that of the BEARS Project (www.medvede. Martin Fisher estimates based on other methods, sk) has found that levels of damage Fauna and Flora International including site-occupancy modeling, and conflict are more closely linked Great Eastern House, Tenison Road can be “unreliable” or “dubious”. New to patterns of human activities than Cambridge, UK CB1 2TT ideas can be challenging. It took many to bear distribution and population years to develop mark-recapture density. Unfortunately such results David. J. Chivers techniques, improve rigor, and provide have tended to go unnoticed in the Department of Anatomy tested models for what were subse- highly vocal, emotive and polarized University of Cambridge quently considered “the best” or “real” debate about how many bears there Cambridge, UK CB2 3DY estimates of home range and, hence, are in Slovakia and whether that is too density and abundance. Innovation many. and new modeling techniques now

 International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 Opinion

show, however, that mark-recapture et al. 2005), Augeri (2005b) integrated of area of use, Augeri then applied all methods via telemetry or other conventional methods with detec- published home range estimates of techniques are limited and biased for tion-probability and site-occupancy sun bears, which were independently many species, including bears (Arthur modeling using a novel study design determined via VHF telemetry and and Schwartz 1999, Link 2003). and application. He conducted a MCP home range models by Wong In addition, all estimates of abun- detailed study of sun bear habitat use (2002) in the same Bornean ecosystem dance obtained from mark-recapture and density by testing and analyzing (Meijaard et al. 2005) where Augeri techniques are model-based, depend camera trapping, sign census, genetic conducted his research. By integrating largely on specific assumptions and sampling, and habitat productivity Wong’s home range estimates with the their validity, and can result in ques- and structure data in a stratified-ran- independently-modeled detection and tionable estimates. Although this has dom and nested experimental design. site-occupancy rates, Augeri could been known throughout the method’s These data and analyses were then then obtain a range of reliable density evolution, recent work by Link (2003) integrated with models of site-oc- and abundance estimates with stan- confirms that estimators obtained cupancy probabilities and the en- dard errors for various demographic from mark-recapture procedures can counter rates, detection probabilities, and range-overlap scenarios. be acutely sensitive to model assump- frequencies, and densities of distinct tions. Analyses reveal that apparently photographic and bear sign events. Reliable and Conservative innocuous model choices yield radi- The study comprised > 90 habitat cally different population estimates. In and disturbance types across 16 study Estimates Prior to accepting the results, and effect, different models yield identical sites on Borneo and Sumatra over four because previous sun bear density expected data and, on average, the years. estimates were limited, Augeri (2005b) analyst cannot properly choose among then cross-referenced all of his sun models by conventional means. The Methods Tests bear density estimates with published ramifications from these and other Because the methods are relatively results estimated via conventional findings raise serious questions about new (McKenzie et al. 2002), Augeri means for the sun bear’s closest phy- the reliability of estimates obtained (2005b) first tested the efficacy of the logenetic relatives and other Ursidae. by mark-recapture methods. Thus, models with his camera-trapping data Augeri’s sun bear density estimates of orthodoxy and what may be deemed of positively identified tigers, which 0.021 - 0.125 bears km-2 for the various the “best” or “most reliable” methods were captured by the same camera sites and demographic scenarios can change with scientific advance- traps during the same trap sets for sun fell well within published estimates ment and improved understanding. bears as an interspecific variable for of the sun bear’s closest phyloge- his sun bear study. Tests of the identi- netic relatives, Ursus americanus and Advances for Population fied tigers as presence-absence data U thibetanus, as well as for U. arctos, Estimates of Rare and Elusive revealed that the models produced Melursus ursinus and Tremarctos density estimates consistent with ornatus (Powell et al. 1997, Servheen Species those of known individuals and with Sun bears and Andean bears, et al. 1999, Kattan et al. 2004). As an other studies (Augeri 2005b, Augeri among others, are difficult to study example comparison of the models, et al. 2006). by conventional means (e.g., telem- in Gunung Leuser National Park the Given the consistency of the tiger etry) due to low trapping success best AIC-fitting abundance prob- models, Augeri generated model-based and technological and logistical ability models produced an actual probability estimates of sun bear constraints associated with working estimate of N=258.93 ± SE 14.27 sun abundance (N) with 95% confidence in their rugged and densely-canopied bears (95% CI=230.96 – 286.90) at intervals by modeling his sun bear -2 habitats. Consequently, it can be very a density of 0.032 bears km . Using camera data in the best AIC-fitting difficult to implement conventional the best AIC-fitting site-occupancy Abundance-Induced Heterogeneity sampling methods and achieve a high models with Wong’s (2002) mean and Repeated Count probability mod- degree of rigor. We concur with the telemetry‑MCP home range estimate els (Royle and Nichols 2003) with the 2 growing body of literature, including of 14.8 km and an average 50% bear least variance. Estimates of the most the 1999 IUCN Bear Specialist Group range overlap (Powell et al. 1997, consistently occupied area of use for report (Servheen et al. 1999, Servheen Wong 2002), Augeri estimated each site were obtained by modeling 1999), that developing new methods, N=280.4 ± SE 40.8 sun bears at a his sun bear camera data in the best -2 or integrating these with conventional density of 0.035 bears km . AIC-fitting survey-specific site-occu- methods, is necessary. Augeri (2005b, 2006) presents pancy models of heterogeneous detec- Due to low trapping success of sun conservative estimates and notes tions (MacKenzie et al. 2002) with the bears by other researchers (Meijaard that, due to varying conditions, least variance. To the best estimates

International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2  Opinion

generalization beyond these study estimate of area occupied. However, build on and produce new population sites could produce spurious results. Wong et al. (2004) did not estimate figures. Because he rigorously tested Tests indicated that results were area occupied; only home range size. and then obtained consistent results robust, but it was also emphasized Thus, they could not obtain reliable with empirical data, whether using the clearly in the International Bear News density estimates. Augeri (2005b, model-based probability estimator or summary (Augeri 2005a) and in the 2006) obtained density estimates via the design-based estimator described original study (Augeri 2005b) that area of use (not directly from home above, further supports the efficacy of because these estimates were the first range) by first determining the best such methods, which is promising for produced for sun bears in this man- estimates of occupancy and only then studies of rare or elusive species like ner, they “…provide only an initial applying home range to area of use. sun bears. baseline, for which further research Because the site occupancy parameter should validate and examine trends of the MacKenzie et al. (2002) model Conservation of Sun Bears through multi-year mark-recapture provides a design-unbiased estimate The Bear Specialist Group (BSG) studies in representative habitat of the proportion of area occupied (ψ), recently recommended changing the types and conditions across the bear’s Augeri could employ the intuitive re- global Red List status of the sun bear range.” It was also emphasized that lationship between area occupied and based on presumed range contrac- these results were not absolute figures, an independent estimate of average tion (IUCN 2006). IUCN Red List but were only estimates with standard home range size (H) to obtain empiri- guidelines (v. 3.1) state that the best errors, and all known limitations and cally-based minimum estimates of available data and analyses must be assumptions were detailed. density, D(min), and then abundance, used for listing or updating a species’ N(min), of sun bears by means of: listing (IUCN 2001, 2004), but unfor- Efficacy of Density and D(min) = ψ × A/H tunately, no substantial data on sun bears exist outside Sumatra, Borneo Occupancy Estimates where A is the area in question. This and perhaps Thailand. Consequently, Garshelis and McLellan (2006) approach constitutes a conservative the BSG could not provide data or appear to base their criticism on a estimator of minimum density science to support their presumption general assertion: that abundance or abundance. The abundance (IUCN 2006) and, as of this writing, estimates cannot be obtained reliably probability models developed and that proposal had not been accepted from occupancy models. This is incor- tested by Royle and Nichols (2003) (IUCN 2006). rect. With the proper study design and others also provided rigorous Although more research is needed, and data, both the abundance prob- comparative support for Augeri’s site evidence indicates (e.g., Meijaard ability modeling and the design-based occupancy and home range-based et al. 2005, Fredriksson and Wich as modeling approach integrating site oc- results by producing model-based cited in Meijaard et al. 2005, Augeri’s cupancy and home range can produce estimates of N(min) with 95% 2005b, 2006) that in Indonesia the sun valid estimates. We agree any estimate confidence intervals. bear should no longer be considered of home range, density, or occupancy That occupancy is stochastically Data Deficient. Augeri’s (2005b, 2006) can be questioned, but this cannot be linked to abundance is widely known empirically-based analyses of sun bear confused as a problem with the basic (He and Gaston 2000, Royle and habitat use, biogeographic ecology, relationship between area occupied Nichols 2003) and partially explains density, and abundance present the and density, especially for territorial the extensive support for occupancy most rigorous study of sun bear site- species, such as tigers, or semi-territo- as a metric of population state. As occupancy and population estimates rial species like sun bears. pointed out by Garshelis and McLel- currently available. According to Garshelis and McLellan (2006) lan (2006), it has been noted ( e.g., IUCN guidelines (v. 3.1), this work presumed that Augeri derived den- Stanley and Royle 2005) that estimates provides the necessary data and sity estimates from some function of average N obtained using the oc- analyses for authorities to consider of Wong’s home range data (i.e., in cupancy formulation can be sensitive updating the status of this species the assumed absence of additional to choice of the probability distribu- in Indonesia from Data Deficient to information) and then applied those tion (g(N,2)) (e.g., whether Poisson or Vulnerable (Augeri 2005b). As such, estimates to area of use. They also negative binomial). However, results it would also support a new BSG contend that Wong et al. (2004) did for any particular case, including proposal at least for that region. not consider their data sufficient for Augeri (2005b, 2006), may not exhibit estimating density. These assertions this sensitivity (Stanley and Royle are incorrect. We agree that home 2005). Like other wildlife studies, Concluding Remarks range size can only be related reliably Augeri’s (2005b, 2006) work provides Site-occupancy modeling of detec- to density or abundance given an a baseline for further research to tion-non-detection data is a promising

10 International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 Opinion

method of compelling rigor (MacK- Augeri, D.M., Y.M. Robertson, M. MacKenzie, D.L., N. Sutton, K. enzie et al. 2005, Stanley and Royle Griffiths, and D. Priatna. 2006. Kawanishi, and L.L. Bailey. 2005. 2005). One important benefit of this Ranging Patterns and Population Improving Inferences in Popula- approach is that it can be effectively Estimates of the Sumatran Tiger in tion Studies of Rare Species that and efficiently applied to a wide array the Leuser Ecosystem, Sumatra. In are Detected Imperfectly. Ecology, of animal sampling problems, particu- prep. 86:1101-1113. larly for rare and elusive species like Garshelis, D. and B. McLellan. 2006. Meijaard, E., D. Sheil, R. Nasi, D. sun bears, which are difficult or costly Tainting Perfectly Good Estimates Augeri, B. Rosenbaum, D. Iskandar, to study using conventional methods. of Occupancy with Bad Estimates T. Setyawati, J. Lammertink, M. I. The growing body of literature shows of Density. International Bear Rachmatika, A. Wong, A. Soeharto- this method can generate unbiased News, 15(1):13-15. no, S. Stanley, and T. O’Brien. 2005. estimates of occupancy from ap- He, F. and K.J. Gaston. 2000. Estimat- Life After Logging: Reconciling propriately collected field data and ing species abundance from occur- wildlife conservation and produc- detection probabilities, and it can be rence. The American Naturalist tion forestry in Indonesian Borneo. used to generate reliable abundance 156:553-559. Center for International Forestry estimates rather than just area of oc- IUCN 2006. IUCN Global Mammal Research, Bogor, Indonesia. cupancy (MacKenzie et al. 2002, 2003, Assessment. IUCN Gland, Swit- Royle, J.A. and J.D. Nichols. 2003. Es- Royle and Nichols 2003, Stanley and zerland and IUCN Global Mammal timating Abundance from Repeated Royle 2005, MacKenzie 2005, MacK- Assessment, University of Virginia, Presence-Absence Data or Point enzie et al. 2005, Augeri 2005b, 2006, Charlottesville, Virginia. Counts. Ecology, 84(3):777-790. Augeri et al. 2006). As an emerging IUCN 2004. 2004 IUCN Red List of Servheen, C., S. Herrero, and B. Pey- field it is certain there will be further Threatened Species ton. 1999. Bears: Status Survey and advancement, but relative to some IUCN. (2001). IUCN Red List Catego- Conservation Action Plan. IUCN, conventional methods and with a ries and Criteria: Version 3.1. IUCN Gland, Switzerland. 309 pp. proper study design it can generate, Species Survival Commission. Servheen 1999. Sun Bear Conserva- in some cases, more robust estimates IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and tion Action Plan (Helarctos malay- (MacKenzie et al. 2002, 2003, 2004, Cambridge, UK. ii + 30 pp. anus). In: C. Servheen, S. Herrero, 2005, Royle and Nichols 2003, Stanley Link, W.A. 2003. Nonidentifiability of and B. Peyton (eds.), pp. 219-224. and Royle 2005). When managers Population Size from Capture-Re- Bears: Status and Conservation and biologists are confronted with capture Data with Heterogeneous Action Plan. IUCN/SSC, Gland, complex scientific and management Detection Probabilities. Biometrics Switzerland. 309 pp. problems for such species and situa- 59:1123-1130. Stanley, T.R. and J.A. Royle. 2005. tions, decision-making based on these MacKenzie, D.I., J.D. Nichols, G.B. Estimating Site Occupancy and methods can be more reliable than Lachman, S. Droege, J.A. Royle, and Abundance Using Indirect Detec- some conventional methods. C.A. Langtimm. 2002. Estimating tion Indices. J. Wildl. Manage. site occupancy when detection 69(3):874-883. Literature Cited probabilities are less than one. Wong, S.T. 2002. The Ecology of Ma- Arthur, S.M. and C.C. Schwartz. 1999. Ecology, 83:2248-2255. layan Sun Bear (Helarctos malaya- Effects of Sample Size on Accuracy MacKenzie, D.I., J.D. Nichols, J.E. nus) in the Lowland Tropical Forest and precision of Brown Bear Home Hines, M.G. Knutson, and AB. of Borneo. M.S. Thesis, University Range Models. Ursus, 11:139-148. Franklin. 2003. Estimating Site of Montana. Augeri, D.M. 2005a. Biogeographic Occupancy, Colonization, and Wong, S.T., C.W. Servheen, and Ecology of the Malayan Sun Local Extinction When a Species L. Ambu. 2004. Home Range, Bear. International Bear News, is Detected Imperfectly. Ecology, Movement and Activity Patterns, 14(4):25-26. 84:2200-2207. and Bedding Sites of Malayan Sun Augeri, D.M. 2005b. On the Biogeo- MacKenzie, D.L. 2005. What are the Bears Helarctos malayanus in the graphic Ecology of the Malayan Sun Issues with Presence-Absence Data Rainforest of Borneo. Biological Bear. Ph.D. Dissertation, University for Wildlife Managers. J. Wildl. Conservation, 119:169-181. of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. 330 Manage. 69(3):849-860. pp. MacKenzie, D.L., L.L. Bailey, and J.D. Augeri, D.M. 2006. Patterns and Nichols. 2004. Investigating Species Dynamics of Malayan Sun Bear Co-occurrence Patterns When Biogeographic Ecology. In prep for Species are Detected Imperfectly. J. Ursus, Vol. 17. Animal Ecol., 73:546-555.

International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 11 Bear Specialist Group

to contact us — to tell the story in Qumsiyeh, M.B. 1996. Mammals Bear Sighting in his own words, so that it could be of the Holy Land. Texas Tech Iraq published in IBN. For reference, we University Press. Lubbock, include a map, taken from the 1999 Texas, USA. Bruce McLellan Action Plan, showing the presumed Servheen, C., S. Herrero, and B. [email protected] distribution of bears in this region, Peyton. 1999. Bears. Status on which we plotted the location of survey and conservation action Dave Garshelis the recent sighting. Notably, when plan. IUCN/SSC Bear and Polar [email protected] we were initially contacted about this Bear Specialist Groups. IUCN, It is always exciting to hear news sighting, we supposed that it was near Gland, Switzerland. of the discovery of a species in a place the Turkish border. It was even more where it was feared to have been surprising to learn that it occurred extirpated. The converse is probably near the recognized southern limit of Green Bear in the more common — the discovery that the range. Desert a population had been Chuck Ridings extirpated Commander, US Navy before it was [email protected] known to be It was mid February, and we were in trouble. It in the doldrums of the routine part is, though, of the mission, transiting from A to with pleasure, B. We were the last plane in a large that we report formation. I was sitting in the left seat the first recent running the systems and backing up documenta- the navigation. LCDR Bill Frederick tion of the was at the controls. Our gunners, continued AW1 Paul Picotte and AW3 Riley existence of Perdue were keeping a watchful eye brown bears for ground fire on the right and left in Iraq. side respectfully. Our corpsman HM1 Brown David Danielson was helping me bears were watch the Forward Looking Infra-Red once reason- Generalized range map of brown bears in the Middle East (from (FLIR) sensor and assisting the other ably common Servheen et al. 1999) indicating position of recent (Feb 2006) crewman when needed. in the Middle sighting in Iraq. No evidence exists for the continued existence of It was about 8:30 PM and our East. They bears in Syria. The closest known bears to the sighting in Iraq may transit this night was taking us due occurred in be in the southeastern corner of Turkey or 400 km east southeast north. We were about 35 miles East of ancient Egypt in Iran. Improved range maps for brown bears in Turkey and Iran Tikrit, near the small town of Shallal and Israel and have been published by Can and Togan (2004) and Gutleb and Abd al Aziz. Flying on Night Vision Ziaie (1999), respectively. Both Emre Can and Bernhard Gutleb persisted until Goggles (NVGs), and using our FLIR collaborated in discussions about the sighting of the bear in Iraq. more recently we were able to see quite well on this in Lebanon cool clear evening. The NVGs amplify and Syria (Qumsiyeh 1996, Manlius Literature Cited any ambient or man-made light and 1998). Brown bears are believed to be the FLIR uses the heat differential of extant in Iraq, but recent documenta- Can, O.E. and I. Togan. 2004. Status and management of brown bears in objects to create an image that under tion has been lacking, until now. the right conditions can produce the U.S. Naval aviators on a routine Turkey. Ursus 15:48-53. Gutleb, B. and H. Ziaie. 1999. On the fidelity of a black and white television flight in Iraq contacted us about spot- picture. Although our display in the ting a bear on their Forward Looking distribution and status of the brown bear, Ursus arctos, and the Asiatic cockpit is not black and white, it only Infra-Red screen. After several gives us shades of green, much like an emails, we became convinced that the black bear, U. thibetanus, in Iran. Zoology in the Middle East 18:5-8. early ‘80s computer monitor (which it sighting was reliable. essentially is). We asked Commander Chuck Manlius, N. 1998. L’ours brun en Egypte. Ecologie 29:565-581. The recent weather had been very Ridings — who made the bear sight- temperate, highs in the low 60s (16°C) ing, and who also made the effort

12 International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 Bear Specialist Group

and lows in the low 40s (5°C). We had I had seen before. “That’s a bear!” I bears in Iraq, but no definitive recent one of those cool, clear nights about exclaimed. information. 45 degrees (7°C). The conditions were I kept the FLIR locked on him as we We stumbled across a document optimal and we were commenting began to pass by. Bill leaned the air- that listed the Bear Specialist Group that the terrain in the valley was very craft to the right allowing me to keep Coordinating Committee, and picked much like the badlands of western the FLIR on him as long as possible. I a name at random figuring that if he South Dakota and eastern Montana. tracked him for about twenty seconds, even responded, he could put us in The landscape that flowed down into before we passed him by and could contact with a Middle Eastern bear the seasonal lake looked like crumpled no longer keep the system locked on. expert. We asked him if there were paper from the erosion. The lake was Making a quick turn overhead wasn’t any recent documented cases of bears as smooth as a skating rink and a per- an option when you are with a large in Iraq, and if not, told him that there fect reflection of the sky could be seen formation, so we had to press on. is one now. Two days later a member if you looked straight down; an effect Needless to say the conversation in of the Bear Specialist Group wrote that could be dangerous, inducing the cockpit turned to the subject of back with a very interested request for vertigo for experienced and inexperi- the existence of bears in Iraq. Suppos- more information. enced aviators alike. We were ecstatic. Just as we crossed We tried to answer over the northern their questions, but coast of the lake, I didn’t have all the spotted an object on information they my FLIR. My first wanted. Were we comment over our absolutely sure it was intercom system was, a bear? Did we have “Wow, that’s big.” a photo? What color “What’s big?” asked was it? (I told them Bill, who was at the it was green – on the controls. FLIR). I explained that I Our sighting was picking up a very was later met with large moving object. skepticism within the I was in “black hot” squadron, where wild mode on the FLIR, stories and odd sight- meaning that the ings are rampant. If hotter an object is, only I had uttered the the darker it appears phrase, “Hey, turn on the display. There on the recorder.” If was a large dark US Navy air crew who spotted the brown bear in Iraq (left to right): I had, I would have animal moving away Lt. Commander Bill Frederick, AW1 Paul Picotte, AW3 Riley Perdue, and hard evidence as well from the flight. It Commander Chuck Ridings. HM1 Dave Danielson not pictured. as some nice footage had obviously heard for the bear experts. the flight coming and was running edly when King David was a shepherd, This will haunt me. To all the bear east away from the sound. I have he killed a bear; if there were bears in folks out there, “I am sorry.” I have seen lots of animals on the FLIR. In Israel back in the day, why not bears in put out the word to the other crews the desert I’ve seen camels, goats, Iraq now? We all agreed that we had to be on the lookout and be sure to sheep and cattle. Back in the States, never heard of a bear sighting in Iraq, record it. everything from cats and dogs to deer, but we weren’t experts either. We are proud to have provided horses, and yes … even some bears. We returned from the flight and some useful information to the This was certainly larger than decided to see what the experts had naturalists. We know that there aren’t anything I’ve seen in the desert and I to say. We fired up the internet and many bears in Iraq and we hope that zoomed in to get a closer look. The googled “bear sightings in Iraq.” this sighting is a good sign. We sure close up revealed a lumbering ani- Bearbiology.com came up as one of wonder, though, how they can survive mal running away from us. He was the suggestions that looked the most here, as this isn’t exactly a garden spot. hunched over running up the side of promising. We found a document that a slope away from the shoreline. His showed the range of Asian Brown fur on the back wiggled in a sheen that

International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 13 Bear Specialist Group

However, the failure to recognize the litical entities may not want to rely on Recognizing vulnerability of unique populations their neighbors for conserving shared Designatable Units among the collective global popula- populations. National categoriza- tions of a species may result in a loss tion is their prerogative, but the BSG of Bears Below The of biodiversity and a reduced breadth will generally avoid using political Species Level for in the diversity of habitats occupied by boundaries to designate units because bears. Moreover, on just a humanistic subdividing a species into an increas- IUCN Red Listing standpoint, some countries may lose a ing number of smaller and smaller The goals of the IUCN Red List are piece of their natural heritage. units when the population is not really to identify, document, and highlight The IUCN Red List Categories and fragmented along those boundaries species that are at high risk of extinc- Criteria (IUCN 2001) can be applied runs the risk of diluting the impor- tion and in most need of conservation to any taxonomic unit at or below the tance of the process. Instead, we hope attention, and to provide a global species level and may also be used to develop criteria to designate units index of the status of biodiversity within any specified geographical or of isolated (and even some connected) and how it changes over time. The political area. Maintaining objectivity populations on a broad, ecological Red List Categories and Criteria are and ensuring consistent categorization basis because such factors likely affect designed to be as objective as possible, by different people, however, becomes behavioral and morphological adapta- able to be applied consistently by dif- increasingly difficult when designat- tions of the animals. ferent people, and enable comparison ing units below the species level. All three of the proposed factors across widely different taxa (e.g., from To meet this challenge, the IUCN that influence whether or not a unit mosses to whales). While the Red List appointed a “Regional Application below the species level should be may focus attention on taxa at high Working Group” to prepare guidelines designatable are rather equivocal. risk, it is only one of several criteria for regional Red List assessments The following questions should be for setting conservation priorities. In (Gärdenfors et al. 2001). Using these addressed. 2004, the Bear Specialist Group sub- guidelines plus concepts used by some 1. Is it a recognized subspecies? mitted an updated list for the seven nations for listing threatened species, (What is a valid subspecies?) extant, terrestrial bear species for as- we hope to develop criteria to deter- . Is it isolated from conspecifics? sessment of their conservations status, mine designatable units for bears. (How isolated, and for how long?) as dictated by their current distribu- Once a species can be objectively and 3. Is it located in a distinct or unique tion and threats to populations (polar consistently divided into these units, ecological area? (How unique?) bear conservation assessments are then the current IUCN Red List crite- We plan on drafting an objective, independent evaluations, constructed ria can be used to categorize the unit consistently repeatable process for under the auspices and jurisdiction of as to its risk of regional extinction, identifying units for possible listing the Polar Bear Specialist Group). In and thereby help prioritize conserva- below the species level to initiate this list, the status of the giant panda tion actions. discussions within the BSG. As was classified as Endangered, the The IUCN suggests that isola- a start to this process, we will be Andean bear, sloth bear, sun bear, and tion from conspecific populations conducting a workshop on mapping Asiatic black bear were all classified as (Gärdenfors et al. 2001) and a rec- the distribution of Asian bears, which Vulnerable, while the Brown bear and ognized taxonomic unit below the should reveal aspects of isolation American black bear were classified species level (e.g., subspecies) are and unique habitats (see related as of Least Concern (not threatened criteria for designating population announcement, following article) globally). units (IUCN 2001). Because laws and It is widely recognized, however, policies that affect conservation are Literature Cited that status assessment and conserva- national constructs, using political IUCN, 2001. IUCN Red List catego- tion of biological diversity requires boundaries for designating units is ries. Version 3.1. Prepared by the that populations below the species also common. Political boundaries IUCN Species Survival Commis- level be considered for listing as well. often have no ecological basis, how- sion. World Conservation Union, The distribution of bears is highly ever, so such designations will often Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, fragmented, with many small, isolated divide interbreeding populations and United Kingdom. populations. Because bears tend to be result in small countries having many Gärdenfors, U., C. Hilton-Taylor, G.M. omnivorous and opportunistic, they more Red Listed species than larger Mace, and J.P. Rodriguez. 2001. The live in diverse ecological conditions countries. On the other hand, some application of IUCN Red List crite- and exploit a variety of resources. On countries may want to adopt national ria at Regional levels. Conservation a global scale, populations of some categorization for the designation of a Biology 15:1206-1212 species may not be gravely threatened. species conservation status. Such po-

14 International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 Bear Specialist Group

Rob Steinmetz Bear Specialist Group Workshop [email protected] Members of the Bear Specialist We will also, as a group, identify hot- Group who represent Asian countries spots for directed bear conservation, Sloth Bear Expert Team Co-chairs are invited to participate in a work- coldspots of recent extirpation (missed N.P.S. Chauhan shop on Saturday, October 7, imme- opportunities for conservation), fuzzy [email protected] diately following the IBA meeting in spots where bear presence is uncertain Shyamala Ratnayeke Japan. The workshop will be held at a and follow-up, on-the-ground inves- [email protected] nearby venue, which will be posted at tigations are needed, and benchmark www.japanbear.org/iba/. areas for future bear monitoring. Giant Panda Expert Team Co-chairs The primary goal of this workshop Anyone interested in attending Lü Zhi will be to refine a range map for all this workshop, whether a member of [email protected] of the Asian bears (excluding giant the BSG or not, and whether from pandas). Members will be contacted an Asian country or not, is welcome. Wang Dajun in advance to supply maps and other There is no charge, and it will last all [email protected] information related to presence/ab- day; therefore, unfortunately, conflict- sence and factors impacting the range ing with some post-conference tours. Andean Bear Expert Team Co-chairs of these species. That information Anyone with reliable information Isaac Goldstein will be coalesced in advance of the about the distribution of any bear [email protected] workshop in a GIS format. At the species in Asia, on any scale (e.g., Ximena Velez-Liendo workshop we will review the maps, including small, local populations), is [email protected] and attempt to reconcile discrepancies encouraged to contact Dave Garshelis (e.g., mismatches at country borders). or Bruce McLellan. Trade in Bear Parts Expert Team Co-chairs Chris Servheen Bear Specialist Group Expert Teams [email protected] The Bear Specialist Group (BSG) Jon Swenson Chris Shepard is organized principally into nine [email protected] [email protected] species or species-regional expert teams and two topical expert teams. North Asian Brown Bear Expert Team Captive Bears Expert Team Co-chairs Each of these teams, except the more Co-chairs Lydia Kolter loosely organized North American John Paczkowski [email protected] Bears Expert Team, has two co-chairs. [email protected] These co-chairs, along with some Jackson Zee Tsutomu Mano other specialists, comprise the coor- [email protected] [email protected] dinating committee, which is listed below. In total, there are now 126 Mexican Black Bear Coordinator South Asian Brown Bear Expert Team members in the BSG, representing 53 Diana Crider Co-chairs countries (some presumed members [email protected] S. Sathyakumar were recently lost when they did not [email protected] reconfirm their membership with the IBA Representative IUCN). Members serve 3-year terms Ozgun Emre Can Harry Reynolds (2005–2008). [email protected] [email protected]

Coordinating Committee Co-chairs Asiatic Black Bear Expert Team Coordinating Committee Member Bruce McLellan Co-chairs John Seidensticker [email protected] Dave Garshelis [email protected] [email protected] Dave Garshelis Polar Bear Specialist Group Chair [email protected] Mei-hsiu Hwang Andrew Derocher [email protected] [email protected] European Brown Bear Expert Team Co-chairs Sun Bear Expert Team Co-chairs Djuro Huber Gabriella Fredriksson [email protected] [email protected]

International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 15 Eurasia

and Gabriel Schwaderer) to the meet- with regard to the future stability of Conservation ing to offer insight and consult the these remnant brown bear popula- Management Spanish authorities on some specific tions. n particular, we stressed the conservation measures for managing need to continue to reduce the Convention on this relic population of bears. human-caused bear mortalities and Cantabrian In particular, we were asked to ad- promote standardized and coordi- dress some concerns regarding in situ nated monitoring programs. We Brown Bears and ex situ conservation efforts aimed also encouraged the authorities to at maintaining the two populations reconnect the two nuclei in an effort The problem of connectivity above the threshold for a minimally to promote gene flow between the two between viable population. We were also asked populations. Regarding the specific to consider the translocation of topics that we were asked to review, the nuclei, knowledge, needs, individuals from the Western to the we suggested that further study was and options Eastern population, as a reasonable warranted regarding population ge- option to manage and conserve netics and demography before efforts Oviedo, Asturia Cantabrian bear genetics. We were were made to translocate individuals also asked to comment on the pros- between the two populations. We did March 23-24, 2006 pects of initiating a captive breeding not encourage the development of a program to maintain a reservoir for captive breeding program, because Piero Genovesi this peculiar genetic pool. captive bears are poor candidates for IBA Vice-President for Eurasia Apart from these topics, the two reintroduction programs. INFS - Italian Wildlife Institute days of work promoted a very interest- The seminar also gave us a chance Via Ca’ Fornacetta 9 ing and fruitful discussion on the to discuss the San Glorio ski resort I-40064 Ozzano Emilia (BO), Italy priorities for future work in North issue (see http://www.bearbiology. Phone: +39 051 6512228 Western Spain. We were particularly com/sanglorioski_brwnbrs.htm) Fax: +39 051 796628 impressed by the incredible attention with the representatives of the local Email: [email protected] that the seminar received by local and government of Castilla y Leon. These national print and television media. officers, with jurisdiction over the The Cantabrian Sierra (North- The great publicity confirmed just matter, ensured us that we will be kept Western Spain) hosts two of the only how passionate the local people were informed on the developments of the five remnant populations of brown in regard to the natural heritage of the project, and that we will be pro- bears in all of South Western Europe. region. vided with the Environmental Impact These two small nuclei (around 100 After the two days of work, most Analysis, once it is completed. in the West, 20-30 in the East) are participants shared the impression of particular conservation value. that the seminar might serve as a They represent the only geneti- pivotal point for the conservation of cally pure remnant population of the Brown Bear the Cantabrian bears. This was the Iberian—south Scandinavian clade first time in many years that all the Management Plan, of the Western European brown bear different groups involved in bear lineage These two nuclei (separated Bulgaria conservation (non-government by only 40-50 km, with limited or no organizations, local and national gene flow) also represent the largest Margje Voeten government entities, bear experts population of bears in all South-West- Alertis, Fund for Bear and Nature and conservation consultants) met ern Europe. Conservation together to discuss priorities for To develop priority options for the PO Box 9 future work. The participation of the conservation of the Cantabrian bears, 3910 AA Rhenen local governments was of particular the Government of Asturia, with The Netherlands significance, because Spain has a very support of the Spanish Ministry of Phone: +31 317-650219 fragmented and decentralized po- the Environment, organized a seminar Email: [email protected] litical system which has placed many in Oviedo, Spain. The convention was constraints on regional conservation attended by the preeminent Spanish Last February, a third workshop endeavors. biologists, NGOs and other authori- was organized to develop the man- In conclusion, we, the invited con- ties. The organizers also invited five agement plan for the Brown bear in sultants, agreed that certain measures international experts (myself, Jon Bulgaria. All interest groups were rep- would best serve the conservation Swenson, Djuro Huber, Pierre Taberlet resented: government (Ministries of interests of the conference attendees Environment and of Forestry), NGO’s,

16 International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 Eurasia Bear Behaviors Potentially Contributing to the Fatal Mauling of Two Photographers Leonid Baskin Institute of Ecology and Evolution 33 Leninsky Prospect, Moscow, 119071, Russia Email: [email protected]

While in Kamchatka last sum- scientists, hunters etc. Many agree previous workshops, Alistair Bath mer I interviewed witnesses to the that by organizing these workshops provided expert leadership during the fatal mauling by brown bears of the and involving all interest groups, a first day of the workshop. Day Two photographers Michio Hoshino from workable management plan can be of the workshop was held in a game Japan and Vitaly Nikolaenko from developed. breeding station close to Sofia, and the Russia. I knew both of them and their The workshop benefited by the discussions went on into the evening, tragic deaths had a profound affect on invitation of Djuro Huber and Jon as many of the participants planned to me. I was particularly affected by the Swenson to share their experiences spend the night at the station. death of Michio Hoshino, as he had with us. Djuro Huber gave presenta- The workshops and fieldwork asked me to be his guide on the fateful tions on how the management plan organized to date were possible due trip to Kamchatka. Unfortunately, I in Croatia was created and on DNA to a grant received by Alertis from was unable to act as his guide since I analyses. Jon Swenson informed the the Dutch Government (PIN-Matra). had committed to a project in Sweden Bulgarians on the damage compen- Alertis has worked together with Alex and so carry some guilt still today. sation system in Norway and on Dustov, Bulgarian project leader of the During the interviews, I was population monitoring. Each also Balkani Wildlife Society, to organize intrigued by descriptions of peculiari- contributed considerably to discus- workshops and fieldwork. For the ties in the bears’ behaviors observed sions throughout the workshop. next two years, Alertis has secured an prior to the mauling and which may Diana Zlatanova, a member of additional two years of funding from have contributed to the events. Both our project team, presented the first the Dutch Government (BBI-Matra), photographers worked with bears that results from the research on cor- and we are hopeful that a sound allowed humans to approach to within ridors. Other presentations were management plan for brown bears in very short distances. In both cases, given by game breeding stations and Bulgaria will be produced within this there appeared to be individual recog- governmental representatives. As in period. nition between bear and human. Not only had these bears seemed to have recognized these photographers and distinguish them from other humans, but it seems as if it was this individual recognition that may have contributed to the mauling. The first case occurred in 1996 near Kurilskoe Lake, a locality well-known for its abundance of brown bears. In an interview with Konstantin Kudzin, who in 1996 was the chief hunting manager for Kamchatka, he said that, soon after his arrival, Michio Hoshino began photographing a large bear that would not move away when humans approached. This behavior provided

International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 17 Eurasia

Michio with an excellent opportunity English. Nikolaenko even used this him up, they began a search and found to photograph fishing behavior from bear’s name in his email address, the dead photographer in the thicket. a short distance. After two days of which was [email protected]. The bear was never captured. work, Kudzin discovered footprints in Eventually, Dobrinya disappeared, The variation in behavior by the mud indicating that, not only had and Nikolaenko began photographing ungulates to the approach distance of Michio been following the bear, but another large bear that would also humans is well studied (Baskin and the bear had been following Michio. allow him to get close. As Nikolaenko Hjalten, 2001). These distances are Kudzin told me that he warned told colleagues, and as was the case good measure of vigilance (the dis- Michio, stating, “This tance within which a bear does not like you; human can approach he is looking for you before discovered) personally.” While and alertness (the observing Michio distance within which and the bear, Kudzin an animal will flee noticed that the bear from an approaching seemed nervous. human). There is a According to Kudzin, hierarchy of escape he suggested that strategy employed Michio sleep in the that varies with level wooden hut with of alertness,: from the others the night complete escape of the mauling but from sight or sound that Michio refused of an approaching to believe there was human to keeping any danger and, as a safe distance but

in previous nights, Nikolaenko of Vitaly © Estate continually observing went to sleep in his Vitaly Nikolaenko the human. Although tent, which was setup feasible in many open near the hut. Tragically, that night with the bear that mauled Hoshino, bear habitats, detailed studies of these the bear attacked Michio in his tent this bear allowed humans to approach behaviors in bears have not yet been and carried him a few hundred meters but behaved nervously when they did conducted. I hypothesize that bears away. The following morning, rangers so. On December 26, the snow cover can recognize individual humans and discovered the bear sitting on the dead in the area was already quite deep, and that this is a contributing factor to body of Michio, and a necropsy of the Nikolaenko skied off after the bear, their aggressive behavior toward that bear revealed human remains in the possibly hoping to get a very rare shot individual. In this situation, the bear stomach. of a brown bear making a winter den moves from alertness behavior to vigi- The second case occurred at the for hibernation. While following the lance behavior and acts aggressively end of December 2003 and involved bear’s trail, Nikolaenko came upon a toward the human, which it perceives Vitaly Nikolaenko, a collaborator thicket of Pinus pumila and took off as a competitor and wants to force out with the Kronotsky Nature Reserve. his skies in order to crawl through of its home range. The bear evaluates One of his major achievements as a the thicket. The bear must have been the persistent, pressing behavior of the professional wildlife photographer hiding in the thicket and, when Niko- human as a demonstration of domina- was a book entitled “The Brown Bear laenko neared, delivered a fatal blow tion and acts aggressively. of Kamchatka”. Many of the photos with its paw, then ran away at, what in this book are of a large bear, which appeared from tracks to be, a speedy Baskin, L. and J. Hjalten. 2001 Fright was named Dobrinya by Nikolaenko. gallop. When Nikolaenko was not and flight behavior of reindeer. Dobrinya means to good guy in waiting for the helicopter sent to pick Alces 37(2):435-445.

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the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, de- doubled, and the black bear harvest Alaska Bears spite justifications for managing them has more than tripled. as separate stocks for the purposes of With the growth of the bear Steven Kovach harvest. population in Wisconsin’s Central Wildlife Biologist For more information readers are Forest, nuisance complaints and dam- Innoko National Wildlife Refuge encouraged to contact Steve Amstrup age to agriculture have also increased. PO Box 69 at: One source of problem bears is the McGrath, AK 99627 USA steady output of dispersing individuals Phone: +1 907-524-3251 USGS Alaska Science Center venturing into the forest-agriculture Biological Science Office mosaic surrounding the contiguous Steve Amstrup, leader of the Ursid 1011 East Tudor Road forested region. and Arctic Marine Team in the Alaska Anchorage AK 99503, USA In an effort to understand the Science Center, reports that three Email: [email protected] movements of yearling bears through new papers were recently accepted for Phone: +1 907-786-3424 unfamiliar landscapes with patchy publication. sections of suitable habitat, we are A paper in Arctic (Durner, G. M., employing GPS collars (Advanced S. C. Amstrup, and K. J. Ambrosius. . North Central U. S Telemetry Systems, Inc.) in a yearling 2006. Polar bear maternal den habitat dispersal study. Due to the consider- in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, News from the north central U.S. able growth that takes place between Alaska. Arctic 59: 31-36) describes provided by: one and two years of age, the collars the distribution of denning habitats Pam Coy have been equipped with an expand- for polar bears in the Arctic National Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources able section (developed by Pam Coy Wildlife Refuge and discusses some Forest Wildlife Populations and and Dave Garshelis) to accommodate of the broader issues related to polar Research Group neck growth during the year of bear denning and the prospects for 1201 East Highway 2 deployment. To our knowledge, this declining sea ice cover in the Arctic. Grand Rapids MN 55744, USA. is the first attempt to integrate an A paper in Polar Biology (Amstrup, Phone: +1 218-327-4159 expandable design with GPS collars S. C., I. Stirling, T. S. Smith, C. Fax +1 218-999 - 7944 for use in black bears. Perham, and G. W. Thiemann. 2006. Email: [email protected] In addition to gathering locations Recent Observations of Intraspecific at nine hour intervals, we will be Predation and Cannibalism among Dispersal of Yearling Black collecting data on movement at a finer Polar Bears in the Southern Beaufort Bears in Wisconsin’s Central scale by incorporating sampling bursts Sea. Polar Biology. In Press) describes t in which locations will be stored at 40 three cannibalism events observed Fores T minute intervals for 24 hours twice in 2004 and hypothesizes possible his study is being conducted by weekly. explanations. This paper also reports Karl Malcolm as a Master’s project As of March 2006, we have the first-ever documented case of an under Tim VanDeelen at the Univer- equipped seven yearling black bears adult male polar bear attacking and sity of Wisconsin – Madison. If you (five females, two males) with GPS killing a female in her den. In the want more information, he can be collars. The assistance of retired paper, the authors wonder whether contacted at this address. Wisconsin DNR biologist Mike Gappa these three events were recorded in Department of Wildlife Ecology and the involvement of veterinarian the same year simply by chance or A224 Russell Labs Dr. Joe Bodewes have been essential to whether broader ecosystem changes Madison, WI 53706, USA our efforts thus far. Over the course may be at work. Phone: +1 608-263-7595 of two field seasons, our goal is to Finally, with larger sample sizes In a vast matrix of largely unfavor- collar 24 yearlings with an equal sex than previously available, a paper able, agriculture-dominated habitat ratio. in the Canadian Journal of Zoology that comprises much of southern and The resulting information, includ- (Cronin, M. A., S. C. Amstrup, and K. central Wisconsin is an island-like ing specific data on movement speed, T. Scribner. 2006. Microsatellite DNA forested region known as Wisconsin’s movement duration and turning and mitochondrial DNA variation in Central Forest. The Central Forest angles in various habitat types, will polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the black bear population has shown be incorporated into a simulation Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, Alaska. signs of dramatic increase since the model. The model will be parameter- Can. J. Zool. In Press) demonstrates mid-1990s. Bear visits to Minnesota ized with current estimates of black that there is little in the way of genetic Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) bait bear population size and productivity differentiation among polar bears in stations in that region have more than to study the expansion of black bear

International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 19 Americas

populations into patchy habitats under Additionally, the Bear Manage- of nuisance bears project. Attempts varied harvest intensities and with a ment and Research Program staff to collect post-relocation reproductive dynamic landscape. spent a month working with Dr. Dan data are in progress and radio-collared Our goal is to enable bear managers Decker, of Cornell University, to begin bears will be monitored through the to anticipate and manage bear-human development of human dimension end of 2006. conflicts resulting from increasing related topics as part a comprehensive bear populations and changing agro- and statewide approach to successfully Louisiana Black Bear forested habitat. manage the Florida black bear. Dr. Decker, as a subject matter expert, Repatriation Project Dave Telesco assisted the Team with establishing Black Bear Conservation Committee a process to obtain an understanding Southeast and South P.O. Box 80442 of both internal and external percep- Baton Rouge LA 70898 USA Central U. S. tion regarding black bears and black Phone: +1 225-763-5457 bear management as well as effective Email: [email protected] News from the southeast and south methods to address human-bear central U.S. provided by: interactions. Thomas H. Eason, Ph.D., Leader The Louisiana black bear (Ursus Species Conservation Planning americanus luteolus) was listed as Current Research Section a threatened subspecies under the Ecology of the Florida black bear Division of Habitat and Species Endangered Species Act in 1992. In (Ursus americanus floridanus) at Conservation order for the bear to recover, genetic the urban-wildland interface of Ocala Florida Fish and Wildlife Conserva- exchange must occur between cur- National Forest tion Commission rently isolated subpopulations. This Bryant Building Contact: Aletris Neils interaction is difficult because much 620 S. Meridian Street (Email: [email protected]) of the bottomland hardwood forests Tallahassee FL 32399-1600, USA in which bears live have been lost or Phone: +1 850-488-3831 In 2005, a total of 18 bears (9M, 9F) highly fragmented. Email: [email protected] were captured. One male dropped Since 2001, the Black Bear Conser- his collar after 6 months and an adult vation Committee (BBCC), Louisiana female and her male yearling died of Department of Wildlife and Fisher- Florida Black Bears unknown causes. Diel monitoring is ies, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Stephanie Simek being used to determine bear activ- Arkansas Game and Fish Commis- Bear Management Program ity patterns and habitat use. Of the sion, Louisiana State University, and Coordinator 9 females collared, 5 reproduced in University of Tennessee have been & 2006. One female lost her cubs at working together to help connect Dr. Sandra Jonker approximately 3 weeks (no remains the Louisiana black bear population Asst. Coordinator Bear Management were discovered). Seven cubs from through a large-scale repatriation Program the remaining females (1M, 6F) were project. The project’s goal is to & equipped with expandable radio establish new bear subpopulations in Aletris Neils collars to document mortality rates. areas that will encourage movement Florida Fish and Wildlife Conserva- To date none of these bears have and genetic exchange between exist- tion Commission exhibited any type of documented ing bear subpopulations. Adult female 620 S. Meridian Street nuisance behavior. Additional bears bears and their cubs are moved from Tallahassee FL 32319-1600 USA will be captured in summer 2006 and winter dens in an existing population Phone: +1 850-413-7379 all bears will continue to be monitored to artificial dens at a release site where into 2007. few, if any, bears are present. Management Efforts Between 2001 and 2006, a total The Florida Fish and Wildlife Con- Determining the impact of relocation of 30 adult females and 69 cubs were servation Commission’s (FWC) Bear on nuisance Florida black bear in moved from in and around Tensas Management and Research Programs central Florida River National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) have been working closely with the Contact: Kim Annis to an area called Three Rivers Com- Agency’s Florida Black Bear Standing (Email: [email protected]) plex. The Complex contains roughly Team (FBBST). The current focus of 105,000 acres of public land found the FBBST is to: 1) restructure the The final year of work is being in Lake Ophelia NWR, and Grassy Bear Response Agent Program and 2) conducted on the impact of relocation Lake, Red River, Spring Bayou, and the revise the existing FWC Bear Policies.

20 International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 Americas

Three Rivers wildlife man- . agement areas. The area Northwest U. S also contains over 50,000 News from the northwest U.S. acres of privately-owned provided by: woodlands, and many Rich Beausoleil other properties which are Bear/Cougar Specialist voluntarily being restored to Washington Dept. Fish and Wildlife forests. 3515 State Highway 97A The females have been Wenatchee WA 98801, USA monitored extensively and Email: [email protected] most have stayed in and Office Phone: +1 509-664-1227 around the complex. Adult W-950 bears have already been captured in the complex that had been moved there North Cascades Grizzly as cubs. The first “natural” Bear Education reproduction of the project Chris Morgan was documented in 2005. North Cascades Grizzly Bear A female moved in 2003 Outreach Project raised her four cubs in the Three Rivers Complex, The North Cascades Grizzly Bear

mated with a male in West © Black Bear Conservation Committee Outreach Project (GBOP) is continu- Feliciana Parish, LA, and The repartriation team lowers a drugged female ing to gain momentum three years had a record five cub litter down from her winter den in Tensas River National into our efforts to bring accurate in- in Wilkinson County, MS. Wildlife Refuge to be moved with her cubs to east- formation about grizzly bear ecology, “This is what we were central Louisiana behavior, safety, and recovery to rural hoping to find” says Paul residents of Washington State. Listed Davidson, BBCC Executive Director, previously repatriated females were in 1975 as threatened under the En- “we don’t move adult males … we don’t found with new cubs in and around dangered Species Act, the grizzly bear have to. If you bring the females, the the Three Rivers Complex, provid- is thought to number no more than males will come.” In 2006, five more ing a good indication of the project’s 20 individuals in this 10,000 square success. mile recovery ecosystem (one of 6 in Repatriation will the United States south of Canada). continue in the Three Effective conservation of the species Rivers Complex until a continues to depend largely upon an viable population has informed, engaged, supportive public. been established. New In a non-advocacy setting, we hire areas are also being local staff, work closely with rural considered for future residents, building trusting relation- repatriation projects. ships that allow us to extend our To find out more about educational reach deep into the heart the Louisiana black of small towns that are in and adjacent bear and how to help to the 10,000 square mile recovery support their recovery, ecosystem. Our strategic approach to visit the BBCC at communication is based largely upon www.bbcc.org. findings from quantitative public opinion and knowledge surveys, the latest of which shows 79% support for recovery in the northwest portion of this ecosystem (52% strongly support- ive). Our strategy involves hundreds of © Louisiana State University one-on-one meetings with influential The repartriation team lowers a drugged female down from her winter den in Tensas River National Wildlife community members, participation Refuge to be moved with her cubs to east-central of GBOP Community Groups that Louisiana help guide our work, slide programs,

International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 21 Americas

media campaigns, booths, fact sheets, The original Spirit Bear proposal posters and brochures. Canada for protection was formulated in 1987 One of our latest sub-projects is after biological surveys by Valhalla Wayne McCrory Bear Smart which focuses exclusively Society staff biologists Wayne McCro- Spirit Bear Project Coordinator upon reducing the availability of non- ry and Erica Mallam. Valhalla then Valhalla Wilderness Society natural attractants in and around formed a working relationship for a Box 329 target communities of the Cascades. sanctuary proposal with First Nations New Denver, British Columbia Individuals gain recognition (e.g. in the area. The Society sponsored 11 Canada V0G 1S0 through decals, refrigerator magnets) research reports that demonstrated Phone: (250) 358-2333 by completing a form that states they high ecosystem values warranting Fax: (250) 358-7950 have adopted practices that minimize protection (see McCrory, Paquet and Email: [email protected] human-bear conflicts (e.g. proper Cross. In Press) and funded a major in- garbage storage, fruit management, ternational campaign. Approximately careful bird feeding etc.). We are also Spirit Bear Conservancy – 80 % of the Valhalla Society’s original working with the North Cascades Canada’s First Sanctuary for proposal will now be protected and town of Glacier towards recognition Black Bears dialogue will continue on other key for that community as Washington As I indicated last fall at the IBA habitat areas such as Green Inlet and State’s first Bear Smart town. Conference in Italy, it was expected Gribbell Island that did not make Our latest product is a school bear that British Columbia would be protective status. The new Spirit Bear trunk and associated curriculum that announcing early in 2006 major new Conservancy completes an eco- is being put to use in a local elemen- protected areas of bear habitats for logical gap in protection of the largest tary school. The trunk contains a the Pacific temperate rainforest. This complex of parklands (1.6 million+ ha) hide, skull, teeth, claws, posters, pho- happened on February 7. Of the 108 on the Pacific Coast of North America tographs, books, maps and posters, new protection areas representing that links, from west to east, a rich along with a ready-to-use curriculum increased protection of some 1.8 gradient of rainforest types from for K-5 teachers that aligns directly million hectares, some 208,000 ha and including outer coastal islands with state education requirements. (512,000 acres) of this would include through to dry, interior grasslands Thank you to Kendall Elementary a large preserve for the “spirit” or with a very different bear-salmon school for piloting the school trunk, Kermode black bear subspecies (Ursus ecotype. and to Defenders of Wildlife for fund- arctos kermodei). About one in ten Research sponsored by Valhalla ing it. We are hoping to collaborate being white-phase, with the rest black, also showed major concerns about with other lower 48 recovery zones identifies this genetic type. Genetic effects of logging and associated road to meet recovery needs in the near studies have shown that the incidence networks on salmon and other sensi- future. For much more information of white-phase individuals varies from tive ecological old-growth habitats about the GBOP please go to www. island to island and island to main- such as grizzly and spirit bear winter bearinfo.org. land. Princess Royal Island has about denning forest types. These are 10% white-phased, Gribbell Island usually old-growth trees (500+ years) Acknowledgements over 30%. with hollow interiors on moderately Thank you to our sponsors for their Protection of intact Spirit Bear sloped mountains. Valhalla Society continued support and encourage- rainforests is comprised mostly of biologists will now use their GIS maps ment: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, older-growth tree age classes 250- on bear den habitats, salmon biomass, Seattle City Light, Secure Rural 500+ years and includes some 50 estuaries and wolf-deer habitats to Schools and Community Self Deter- salmon streams, numerous large and monitor the impacts of the new type mination Act, Conservation North- small coastal estuaries (salt marshes) of ecosystem-based logging (which west, Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, and thousands of cultural/heritage will unfortunately not be implemented USDA Forest Service, Interagency sites of coastal First Nations. The until 2009). Grizzly Bear Committee, Defenders Kitasoo and Gitga’at aboriginal Other good news is that the of Wildlife, Washington Department communities in the area played a key Khutzeymateen Grizzly Sanctuary, of Fish and Wildlife, National Park role in protection, adopting their own protected in 1993 after an 8-year Service, WILDTIME Foods Grizzlies land-use plans to protect about 50% campaign spearheaded by the Valhalla Brand, Grizzly Industrial, Canopy, of their traditional lands that have Society, will be tripled to a protected Counter Assault, Living with Wildlife sustained them for thousands of years. complex of 143,000 ha (350,000 acres). Foundation, Sanitary Service Com- The remainder will be open to logging Seaward of this world-famous main- pany. Many thanks also to Senator with plans to eventually adopt more land grizzly enclave, the little known Erik Poulsen and Senator Lisa Brown ecologically friendly tree cutting. Dundas Archipelago of rainforest for their continued support.

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islands, which Valhalla proposed as a well-connected grizzly bear preserves and www.savespiritbear.org park in 1987, will now have its’ whole with no grizzly hunting. island maze of 23,645 ha (58,000 acre) While more work needs to be done, Literature Cited all protected. These are, to name a bear people all over need to pause and Gilbert, B., L. Craighead, B. Horejsi, few, of the 100 or more new protec- celebrate what has now been achieved P. Paquet and W. McCrory. 2004. tion areas that will have legislated for one of the world’s last intact Scientific criteria for evaluation and protection the equivalent of Class A temperate rainforests. The Valhalla establishment of grizzly bear man- provincial Parks. Society would like to especially thank agement areas in British Columbia. This is all a very significant all IBA members who lent so much Panel of independent scientists, milestone to protect the last intact support over the years. This includes Victoria, B.C. 16 pp. coastal temperate region of British the following IBA bear biologists who Jeo, R.M., M.A. Sanjayan and D. Columbia; which is already half logged provided scientific advice and much Sizemore. 1999. A conservation by clear cutting. Protection will be support: Dr. Paul Paquet, Dr. L. Craig- area design for the central coast increased from about 9 % to about 34 head, Dr. C. Jonkel, Dr. B. Gilbert, region of British Columbia, Canada. % of the B.C. Central-North Coast. Dr. B. Horejsi, Marty Williams and Round River Conservation Studies. However, more work needs to be done others. 78 pp. plus maps. to bring protection up to thresholds B.C. is globally unique in that it has McCrory, W.P., P. Paquet and B. Cross. established by various scientific stud- both inland and coastal temperate In Press. Conservation analysis ies. For example, a 17-member science rainforests with bears and salmon and design for a sanctuary for the team (Rumsey et al. 2003), appointed complementing rich biodiversity of Kermode bear (Ursus americanus by government, industry and some many old-growth dependent species. kermodei) on the raincoast of Brit- environmental groups, recommended As a result of a recent conservation ish Columbia. Report for Valhalla a minimum of 44 – 50 % protection to area design (CAD) by the Craighead Wilderness Society, New Denver, maintain biodiversity. Conservation Institute and Baden Cross, Valhalla British Columbia. biologists Jeo et al. (1989) recom- has launched a major initiative to Rumsey, C. Eds. 2003. An ecosystem mended over 50 % protection with significantly increase protection of spatial analysis for Haida Gwaii, very large carnivore conservation the B.C. Inland Temperate Rainforest central coast and north coast Brit- areas. A team of independent bear including the rare mountain caribou. ish Columbia. Coast Information biologists (Gilbert et al. 2004) recom- For more information please Team. mended up to 68% protection in large contact our websites: www.vws.org Captive Bears

ing the patterns of helminth infec- The giant ball of round worms Knee-Deep in tions in captive bears. I guess I’m an that I encountered following my first Bear Scat exception. administration of anti-helminthics to I had rotated through various a parasitized bear served as a pivotal Jordan Schaul keeper routines at a large regional point in my career as a parasitologist Laboratory for Wildlife and zoo while concurrently pursuing a and subsequently determined that my Environmental Health graduate degree in parasite ecology. I fate would be in the fields of parasitol- College of Veterinary Medicine eventually decided to settle down and ogy and scatology. After completing The Ohio State University work more regularly with bears and my master’s degree, I decided to revisit 1920 Coffey Rd. pinnipeds. Some people can watch parasitology from a new perspective. Columbus, OH 43210, USA apes and elephants all day, but my Rather than pursue opportunities Phone: +1 614-439-4111 favorite charismatic mega-vertebrates to conduct field studies of icthyofauna Email: [email protected] were bears. I was still conducting and herpetofauna, I embraced the [email protected] research on helminth infra-communi- emerging field of captive wildlife www.bearconservationmedicine.org ties of stream fishes and free-living epizootiology and the possibility of www.bearkeepers.net herpetiles for my master’s degree. improving the health and welfare of However, my intellectual interest in captive animals through the control I was knee-deep in bear scat when pathogen-mediated competition in and eradication of persistent patho- I first considered the prospects of ectotherms had no real connection to gens. I simply became passionate studying parasites in bears. I suspect my career in zoo animal husbandry or about ridding bears of roundworms. that few people wake up on a given my future interest in the conservation As would be expected, I never morning with any ambition of study- of endangered mammals. found a great abundance of endo-par-

International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 23 Captive Bears

asites in wildlife, but I was certainly released into the wild, but they are of enclosures with diverse substrates and surprised to learn just how many great value to conservation educators. natural flora. worms could take up residence in the Through their display in natural- The primary objective of my intestines of an otherwise “healthy istic, mixed species exhibits, zoos helminth control study is to develop looking” zoo bear. Without pharma- enrich the lives of animals, and enclosure-specific control strate- cological intervention, I learned that subsequently these animals enrich the gies for reducing bear roundworm bears could accumulate and harbor experience for the zoo visitor. These (Baylisascaris transfuga) infections in lethal quantities of worms due to environmentally enriched enclosures captive bear populations and reducing highly contaminated bear enclosures. elicit natural behaviors and are parasite contamination in their enclo- sures. This includes the development of husbandry protocols for individual facilities. I hope to reduce the need for fre- quent parasiticidal treatment through the implementation of sanitation and disinfection practices which target this particular pathogen. Hopefully, Baylisascaris transfuga ova Jordan as a keeper these efforts will reduce the need to Hence, my passion for bear con- designed to display wildlife in natu- routinely administer anti-helminthics servation and the welfare of these zoo ralistic settings. The exhibition of in captive bears for roundworm animal ambassadors, in conjunction bears in zoos will hopefully engender control. with an appreciation for parasitic and a respect for our natural heritage and Many zoos administer anti-hel- symbiotic helminth communities in the very animals we must increasingly minthics with enough frequency to wildlife, served as the impetus for learn to co-exist with. However, with warrant concern for drug resistance in embarking on an unusual and unlikely progress comes compromise. parasites. Hence, the rotation of anti- PhD dissertation. After discussion Although the health care and wel- helminthics has been implemented in with zoo clinicians and some cursory fare of zoo animals are top priorities zoo animal preventive medicine pro- investigations of published work, I was for captive wildlife managers, there grams much like it has in the livestock out soliciting zoos for bear scat. are some drawbacks to displaying industries for the purposes of discour- I was amazed at all the paperwork captive wildlife in naturalistic enclo- aging drug resistance in parasites. In involved. Sure, I was familiar with sures. Today’s naturalistic exhibits are addition, bear roundworms can cause permit applications for field work, but more conducive to illness or death in other I had no idea that the abundance of infectious pathogen endangered and threat- bear scat that once provided me with survival and persis- ened zoo species. Similar great job security would become so tence. Older facili- to the roundworm of challenging to obtain. ties were designed raccoons (B. procyonis), Although I currently study para- to facilitate cleaning the bear roundworm has sites in captive and free ranging bears, and enclosure main- been implicated in larval 123 zoos have agreed to participate in tenance. Today’s migrans syndromes in a study involving roundworm control. facilities are more non-carnivorous captive I have not yet examined the feces of all “animal friendly,” wildlife and could po- 450 individual animals, representing but not necessarily tentially present a public all eight species of bears, but I do have as “keeper friendly” health concern. a lot of scat, as well as health records as facilities of years Although B. transfuga and husbandry protocols provided to past. can threaten the health me by keepers, curators, and vet- In many ways, we of captive bears and erinarians from zoos nearby and on continue to improve other wildlife, there is continents far away. animal welfare. At still a paucity of informa- Imperiled species of mega-preda- the same time, we may sacrifice some tion regarding the prevalence, inten- tors may benefit to a great degree of the most basic aspects of animal sity, and persistence of B. transfuga from zoo-based conservation educa- care and management with regard and effective control strategies in tion programs. Captive bears are to basic husbandry and preventive captive bear populations. I invite any ambassadors for their free-ranging medicine. Zoos can not readily captive wildlife managers and field counterparts. These animals can’t be sanitize and disinfect the “new-age” researchers to contact me. I’d love to look at your bear scat!

24 International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 Captive Bears Learning Adaptation in Caged and Enriched Environments: There’s Nothing Like a Change of Scenery Andrew R. Criswell Hedmark University College Rena, Norway Phone: +47 62 43 04 59 Email: [email protected]

James L. Fuller Thai Society for the Conservation of Wild Animals Bangkok, Thailand Figure 1: Female, adult Asiatic black bear solicited for our study Phone: +1 828-301 1897 Email: [email protected] In Thailand, the current wild popu- et al. 2002). The low success rate can lation of Ursus thibetanus is difficult be attributed to any number of factors, In May 2004, we initiated a study of to estimate as no accurate census has as acknowledged by IUCN’s reintro- learning behavior with captive Asiatic been attempted and cataloguing of duction guidelines and various IBA black bears (Ursus thibetanus) at a protected areas is sporadic at best. specialist groups, including the Asiatic Department of National Parks facility While some populations may be Black Bear Expert Team. Low genetic in Thailand’s Mae Hong Son province. stabilizing due to increased enforce- variability, a propensity for homing The results obtained thus far sug- ment, Thailand’s Asiatic black bear amongst adults, small founder popula- gest that changing the conditions of population is generally considered tion size, overly habituated release confinement from barren concrete disturbingly low. candidates, and poorly formulated and cages to naturalistic outdoor enclo- Ironically, improved enforcement ill-executed reintroduction protocols sures significantly improved the bears’ and confiscation of smuggled cubs has may all play a part in the poor success performance on a discriminative resulted in the problem of a growing rates of captive bear reintroductions. learning task. Furthermore, we found population of captive bears housed in More recently, Vickery and Mason no correlation between exhibitions of Thai government facilities. The com- (2003) asserted that stereotypy behav- stereotypy and a bear’s performance bination of depleted wild populations ior (repetitive, invariant behavior with on the learning task. Not only do and a growing captive population has no obvious function or purpose) in these findings have potential implica- led to discussion of release programs caged bears correlates with persistent tions regarding the welfare of captive using captive bears as a way to supple- abnormal behavior, indicating that bears, but also in the continued debate ment and reestablish wild populations. there are impediments to learning surrounding the consideration of cap- Reintroduction, while viewed by some adaptation intrinsic to captivity. Vick- tive bears for release projects. as a last resort, may yet prove a useful ery and Mason (2005: 278) therefore conservation tool as bear species declared categorically that captive Background continue to face human conflict, an bears make poor release candidates. Asiatic black bear populations inexorable withdrawal to fragmented However, Criswell and Galbreath have been in decline throughout their habitats, and loss of genetic diversity. (2005) recently demonstrated that range for decades and, despite wide- The plight of wild bear populations their empirical results are question- spread protection, the species remains demands a thorough examination of able due to a flawed research design on CITES Appendix I and categorized all potential conservation strategies. and inappropriate methodology. This Vulnerable (VU—A1cd) on the IUCN Few could reasonably argue that issue remains open to investigation Red List, 2002. reintroduction of captive bears has and formed the initial basis for our proven tremendously successful (Clark study.

International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 25 Captive Bears

side walls, and a concrete floor and back wall (Figure 2). The 495-meter2 outdoor enclosures—55 times a cage’s area—were grass-covered with inter- mittent shrubs and trees, and included elevated perches, concrete shelters, and a water source (Figure 3). The learning task utilized a mechanical device affixed to the front of the cages or implanted outside the enclosures (Figures 2 and 3). This reinforced steel device consisted of two levers, a chute for reward delivery, a bucket containing rewards (dog pellets and peanuts), and a mechanism to record which of the two levers was pressed. The levers were constructed so that depressing one of them (“cor- rect” lever) would release approxi- mately 0.3 liters of reward into the bear’s cage or enclosure while depress- ing the other (“incorrect” lever) would Figure 2: Caged environment with learning device produce no reward. We could switch the levers from “correct” to “incorrect” the five bear control group remained Study Design between learning phases. in cages. The same learning task was Our study examines how changing For both learning phases, each then re-administered to all bears with environmental conditions influences bear was given the opportunity to a reversal to the reward mechanism. the performance of captive Asiatic interact with the device for a total The cages in the study were identi- black bears on a spatially discrimina- of 20 interactions (depressing either cal 3 x 3 x 3 meter structures consist- tive learning task. The study further one of the levers) per day. When ing of a steel-barred ceiling under examines whether a correlation exists the subject had pressed the levers a between the exhibition of stereotypy a corrugated roof, steel or concrete behavior and task learning. We framed our experiments around two principle hypotheses: (1) captive bears will perform better on a learn- ing task after having been moved to an enriched, outdoor environment than they will in a barren cage and (2) the level of stereotypy exhibited by a bear will not be correlated to performance on a learning task. We have so far treated ten captive adult Asiatic black bears to a learning task under two distinctly different environmental conditions and recorded bouts of stereotypy behavior throughout the study. In the first phase of the study, each bear was exposed to a learning task (described below) in its cage after a 72-day caged acclimation period. For the second phase, the five bears in the experimental group were moved to enriched, outdoor enclosures while Figure 3: Enriched environment, bear interaction with learning device

26 International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 Captive Bears

total of 20 times (either “correct” or in both control and experimental improve its ability to adapt. This im- “incorrect”), we immediately re- groups learned the task during the plies that bears need not be precluded moved the machine and recorded the first learning phase at the same rate as candidates for reintroduction based 2 percentage of “correct” responses. We (H0: P1E = 0; X = 1.063; P = 0.304). solely on their having been confined. pronounced a learning phase “com- In the second learning phase, bears in The notion that captive status a priori plete” (task learned) for each subject the experimental group, after having disqualifies a bear from being con- after 3 consecutive days of scoring been moved to the outdoor enclosure, sidered for reintroduction diminishes 90% (18 “correct” lever pressings) experienced significant improvement a potentially powerful conservation or better. After completing the first in learning the task, both in speed tool. Given the challenges that face learning phase, each bear was moved and accuracy, compared to those in global bear populations, it is im- immediately to the second learning the control group that remained in portant to explore fully all potential 2 phase with the levers reversed, either cages (H0: P2E ≤ P2C; X = 3.285; P = conservation strategies—including remaining in cages (control group) or 0.032). Finally, we found no significant reintroduction of captive individu- moving to outdoor enclosures (experi- relationship between exhibitions als—rather than discounting options mental group). of stereotypy and performance on based on misperceptions of the effects

learning tasks (H0: STEREO = 0; of captivity on adaptive learning previ- 2 Results X = 0.019; P = 0.899). We estimate ously reported by Vickery and Mason It is important to note that these that bears in the experimental group (2003, 2005). results are from a small sample and reached completion (task learned) for We acknowledge the challenges the strength of the stated conclusions the second learning phase within 14.2 of releasing captive bears—espe- should be regarded in that context. ± 3.2 days (90% CI) while those in cially adults—and do not suggest that Working with behaviorally complex the control group achieved learning improvement in learning based on a species with extreme individual completion by 19.0 ± 2.8 days. changed environment signifies that variation brings a host of challenges. any individual bear is therefore suit- We are continuing this research and Discussion able for release. However, we believe intend to include data from a larger Our results indicate that envi- the results of our study show that sample in our forthcoming report. ronmental conditions, more so than “strange” behavior in a cage does not Empirical findings for the ten bears stereotypy, exert strong influence on make a bear inherently unsuitable for thus far studied are summarized learning adaptation and support a release. in Table 1. Results show that bears growing literature that improving an Further study is needed to identify individual’s environment will typically what characteristics would allow Table 1. Regression estimates Std. T-value: Variable Coef . Prob. Error (H0: zero) CONSTANT 0.1890 0.4892 0.3864 0.6898 (baseline: phase one, cages) DAY 0.2692 0.0372 7.2438 0.0000 (sessions to completion of tasks) P1E 0.7288 0.7068 1.0311 0.3044 (1 = phase one, enclosures; zero otherwise) P2C -3.0988 0.4451 -6.9618 0.0000 (1= phase two, cages; zero otherwise) P2E -1.7983 0.7646 -2.3520 0.0202 (1 = phase two, enclosures; zero otherwise) STEREO -0.1595 1.1505 -0.1387 0.8999 (proportion of stereotypy, daily scan samples)

Dependent variable: daily proportion of correct responses. Estimation method: generalized linear mixed-effects model with logit link, correction for first order autocorrelation within clusters and penalized quasi-likelihood. Model judged best against polynomial functions of DAY, and interactions between covariates and DAY using Bayesian and Akaike informa- tion criteria.

International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 27 Captive Bears

researchers to predict an individual Animals, its staff and volunteers. Criswell, A. and G. Galbreath. 2005. bear’s potential for release success. We Funding was provided by the World Behavioral persistence in cap- hope that these preliminary results Society for the Protection of Wild tive bears: a critique. Ursus 16(2): contribute to a better understanding Animals and support given by the De- 268–273. of the effects of captivity and provide partment of National Parks, Wildlife Vickery, S. and G. Mason. 2003. important information relevant to and Plant Conservation, Kingdom of Behavioral persistence in captive selecting candidates for release and Thailand. bears: implications for reintroduc- designing reintroduction protocols. tion. Ursus 14: 35–43. Literature Cited Vickery, S. and G. Mason. 2005. Acknowledgements Clark, J., D. Huber, and C. Servheen. Behavioral persistence in captive Special thanks go to the Thai 2002. Bear reintroductions: lessons bears: reply to Criswell and Gal- Society for the Conservation of Wild and challenges. Ursus 12: 153–163. breath. Ursus 16(2): 274–279. Student Forum Diana Doan-Crider Student Page for are aware of graduate programs that IBA Student Coordinator IBA Website are not included on the page. We also King Ranch Institute for Ranch Jordan Schaul, one of our quickly welcome any additional resources Management rising IBA student stars and IBN Cor- for inclusion on a student page. Our MSC 137 respondent Editor, has been working objective is to serve your interests as Texas A&M University-Kingsville closely with Dick Shideler, the IBA graduate students, as well as cater to Kingsville TX 78363-8202, USA website representative, to help the prospective graduate students and Phone: +1 361-593-5407 Student Forum become more con- other bear biologists. We request that Email: [email protected] nected with the world by developing a you specify in your submission the web page for the IBA students on the names of your advisor(s)/mentor(s), Student Forum IBA website (http://www.bearbiology. and the names of your respective com). This webpage will include links research laboratories (if applicable), Activity to pertinent websites (see below), an- departments, and universities. nouncements, job postings, and other We will include information with Truman Student List Serve relevant information for students. or without links to web pages or Truman has been busy lately Our goal is to help students access websites. Although we have synopses entertaining discussions about circus the information they need to conduct of many research student projects, bears, tree markings, and job postings. their research from around the world. we encourage updates or new Remember, Truman is there for your submissions to include on the web page. Any other information or links perusal, so feel free to ask questions Global Bear Research of other students to get their input on to postdoctoral, faculty or non- your projects. In addition, if you have Program Links academic research pages and profiles Jordan Schaul (ibanews@bearbiology. a question that needs professional are also welcome. org) and Ximena Velez-Liendo attention, Truman will refer your re- ([email protected]) are also quest to one of our IBA professionals. working on a Global Bear Research Hai! Japan Gets Ready So far, we have 110 members on Tru- Program Links page (http://www. man. I have also been notified that we bearkeepers.net/GraduatePrograms. For IBA Students! will be moving onto a new server this htm) and invite graduate students year. This will mean faster service Rumiko Nakashita (see Student to submit links for their respective and more options. Please continue Spotlight, pg 33), our IBA student laboratory web pages, advisor’s page, representative for Japan, is making to use Truman as the main avenue for and/or individual research page(s). discussion between students. Your preparations to host IBA students for Jordan is compiling a roster which th participation allows other students to the upcoming 17 Conference on Bear includes a directory of student emails learn from Truman discussions, and Research and Management in Nagano that were compiled by Ximena at helps keep our far-removed students this fall. This will be an important the 2005 IBA conference, as well as in other countries in touch with the meeting, especially for our great a partial list of graduate programs rest of us. Asian bear researchers who are doing in organismal biology (compiled by some fine work on the several bear Jordan). Please contact Jordan if you

28 International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 Student Forum

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• For students only • Discussions pertaining to bear biology, management, or study design challenges • Assistance with proposals and study design through IBA professionals • Job searches, announcements, information regarding the IBA and student membership • Planning for IBA student activities and meetings • IBA membership is encouraged, but not required for initial sign-up

Instructions New IBA Students - • Contact Diana Doan-Crider at [email protected] to enroll Sign Up For • After enrollment, go to: http://aristotle.tamuk.edu Student List Serve (Truman) • Click on Agricultural Lists Now! • Click on Truman • Enter your email address and the password “Bears01” • Go to Create Message • If you’re a new member, please submit a paragraph about your project and include your contact information so we can all get to know you.

International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 29 Student Forum

species found on that side of our big *Reservations required. don’t realize the blunder until, one blue planet. Rumiko is coordinating a *You must pay the room fee on the day, our proposal falls out of the dusty session where students will be able to first day of the conference. mire of papers on the shelf, and we visit with IBA professionals, ask ques- recognize that it is not even close Serigasawa Mountain Lodge tions regarding research methods, or Serigasawa Mountain Lodge is to what our thesis or dissertation get some help on their proposals. If located 3 km from the conference stated. Most of us would toss it aside, you plan on attending the meeting and site, quiet surroundings within bear attributing the forsaken proposal to would like to help out, please contact habitat. Shared rooms, kitchen, and some insignificant and monotonous Rumiko at [email protected]. toilet. no bathroom. Parking just for a academic requirement, or the neces- Hope to see you there! few cars. 4 km from a supermarket, 3 sary evil for some funding agency km from a hot spring. grant. I have to admit, on many an Lodging for Students Fee: 1,000 yen per night per person. occasion, I have been pressured into *Limited to 15 people Reservations pumping out a piece of handiwork to at Nagano required. meet a deadline that was completely *You must pay the room fee on the void of any forethought or counsel. Toho University Karuizawa Mt. Lodge first day of the conference. Upon my arrival in the field with the Address: 2148 Hoshino Nagakura, secured money in my pocket, it was Naka-Karuizawa, Karuizawa-machi, Reservations just a matter of catching a bunch of Kitasaku-gun, Nagano To make reservations, please bears, putting radio-collars around The lodge will be available for contact Rumiko Nakashita (nakasita@ their necks, and watching what floated students. Located 1.5 km from the cc.tuat.ac.jp) with the following to the surface. If any of you have never conference site, with a good view of information for each person: done so, you are lying. Mt. Asama, it has dormitory rooms 1) full name, 2) check in and check Many advisors have the best (share up to four people), shared out dates, 3) where you want to stay intentions of walking their graduate kitchen, toilet, and no bathroom. (Karuizawa Mountain Lodge or students through the proposal There is parking for just a few cars. Komoro Y.H.) 4) email address, 5) sex, process with sufficient time and effort It is 2 km from a supermarket, and 6) affiliation (name of college/school, for brainstorming, organization, 1 km from a hot spring (1000 yen per course, year), and 7) whether you and scrutiny by outside counsel. person). have acquired any travel grant for this Unfortunately, amidst a flurry of Fee: 1,000 yen per person per day conference or not. deadlines, tenure requirements, *Limited to 20 people teaching, and new projects, the *Reservations required. professor sometimes loses track of Your Proposal Is the student in the fog. I once met one Komoro Youth Hostel poor guy during his second semester Address: 3876-4 Minamigahara Your Friend of graduate school, and had met his Komoro-shi, Nagano 384-0063 Note: this is an edited and updated advisor only once. Many students are http://www.icon.pref.nagano. version of my column from 2003, but a faced with the pressure of having to jp/usr/yh/Hostel/hostel_e.html very noteworthy topic worth repeating. produce management information for The Komoro Youth Hostel is Admittedly, I never really paid some funding agency, while learning located in Komoro Town, a 30-minute much attention to hypotheses during to become a scientist happens drive from the conference site. The my Master’s work, mainly because I (hopefully) as a by-product. Students hostel provides a shuttle service to the was too busy collecting descriptive are rushed to prepare the proposal conference site. The nearest station data on the little-studied Mexican for committee sign-off, get out into is Komoro Station (JR Koumi line). black bears. While the collection of the field to start some seasonally Surrounded by nature, quiet, with a descriptive data is important and regulated project (as are most bear homey atmosphere, the hostel has five not injurious in the case of a gradu- projects), and then play the magnet dormitory rooms (single sex, 4-6 beds ate project, I missed a fundamental game and collect whatever data they each) with a 20-30 person capacity. principle in the art of wildlife science can. In some cases, students begin Shared bathroom and toilet, parking and a critical building block in my their fieldwork and start collecting for five cars. education. Most important, I missed data only to find major glitches in the Fee: 3,500 yen per night per person the opportunity to learn how to ask methodology. Worse yet, some make (meals not included. YH member rate a relevant question, set up an effec- it as far as getting past the field work, is 3,308 yen) tive design to test that question, and only to find that their analysis looks Dinner 1050 yen, breakfast 630 yen produce results that provided some more like Swiss cheese than a thesis, (optional) answer to that question. Many of us with little to defend. Disheartened

30 International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 Student Forum students return to the drawing board Guthery, F.S., J.J. Lusk, and M.J. 4) Reality check: testing, or resort to all forms of data dredging, Peterson. 2001. The fall of the null testing... while our well-meaning colleagues pat hypothesis: liabilities and opportu- Experimental Design us on the back saying, “Hey, it’s good nities. Journal of Wildlife Manage- There’s nothing more frustrating for your character.” Hey, life is short ment 65:379-384. than being close, but not close enough and tuition is not cheap. I’ll trade off Romesburg, H.C. 1981. Wildlife to cross the finish line. Aside from that kind of character for some simple science: gaining reliable knowledge. your proposal, your statistician should forethought and planning. Journal of Wildlife Management be your next best friend. Look at it Let’s not waste time blaming people 45(2). this way: you are looking for the best for the cracks in the system; if so, we’d vehicle to test your question, and your have to start with whether you were 2) Build your literature review statistician is your mechanic. You breast-fed and if you were a middle Your literature review is not just cannot afford a major breakdown on child. Instead, simply recognize that a requirement for your proposal, or this trip. Scores of students have had your proposal is your friend. Your a compendium of everything that’s to piece together messy data and cram proposal should be the place where ever been written on bears. There is it into faulty experimental designs you invest the greatest amount of a reason for this task. Conduct your because they didn’t look under the brain-power before you start your literature review to provide yourself hood and plan ahead with enough project. The intent of this column with a good understanding of what detail before they bought the car. Find is to prepare you for unpredictable has been done with respect to your out about what kind of sample sizes circumstances and ensure that you question, what questions are left you will need and whether your design do not fall through any cracks despite unanswered, and who has been doing is really practical for the kind of field your naiveté, academic background, the testing. It may help you reduce the conditions you are going to experi- funding, professor’s work load, or the chance of repeating a study that has ence. If your statistician tells you that nature of your project. Here are some already answered the question clearly, you will need to catch a minimum of helpful hints, but not necessarily in or perhaps reveal research techniques 876 bears and obtain one location a this order: that didn’t work. Be thorough, and day per bear in each habitat type to use the literature that best builds meet the test requirements, then you 1) Ask the question up to your question (i.e., leave out might want to reconsider the tech- What question are you trying to the chatter that is irrelevant to your nique. Not all analytical techniques answer? Different funding agencies topic). Remember, you’re not using the are gospel; they may look pretty on may request descriptive information literature to test your question, just to the outside, but are riddled with from many graduate projects such as help you set it up. problems and assumptions that are “How many bears are in this area?” difficult to meet. Comb them out, or “What is the mortality of adult 3) Brainstorm with peers & experts think them through, talk with experts, females in a harvested population?” Once you have an idea of what’s and then decide. With bears, we are However, your hypothesis will likely going on in the scientific bear world, not afforded the statistical luxuries be based on some testable question talk to people. The best way to wage of those who study rats and fish, but that will give you insight into ecologi- a war is to seek good counsel, and the given all the choices, make the best cal mechanisms that drive the system. IBA is loaded. Call authors of papers one. Ultimately, don’t commit the That question can be very simple (the you have read and see what they faux pas of simply doing something best ones are), but may not necessarily recommend. Talk to people who have because everyone else does it. Think be the National Geographic material used the techniques which you are for yourself, and always do it with the you were dreaming about. Regardless, considering, and find out about the help of a statistician. this question will be the substance kinks. Go to bear biology meetings, No Abra-Cadabra of your thesis or dissertation, and use the IBA student list serve, and visit Don’t be tricked by nifty techniques also the most useful when it comes with people and tell them about some and equipment that promise magical to understanding bear populations of your ideas. Go to those who are on answers to your questions. Telemetry and learning to become a scientist. I the cutting edge of techniques you is just a tool, and remember, while it suggest the following papers to start want to use. Get input. I consider this tells you what bears are doing during you off with a good perspective on the to be one of the most critical points in the fraction of time that the bear is topic of the scientific question: the design of your study. It can help actually being monitored, ask yourself you avoid some pretty big mistakes, what the bears are doing when you are Gill, R.B. 1985. Wildlife research—an or even get you in on the cutting edge, not monitoring them, and why they endangered species. Wildlife too! are doing it. We have been trained Society Bulletin 13:580-587.

International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 31 Student Forum

to make assumptions based on 2 an “S” on your chest, i.e., you are not your costs. Be as involved as possible dimensional methods that we use to Superman (or “W” for Wonderwoman, because, believe me, you will suffer answer multi-dimensional questions. of course). Be extremely conscientious the consequences for any financial Let’s face it, in most cases the per- of the workload and whether you oversights on the project. Cover centage of time we actually monitor will be able to do it. Telemetry alone yourself as well as you can, and try to animals is much smaller than the time can be a full-time job for one person, think of everything. they are not monitored. It’s easy to but then there’s trapping, vegetation Facilities be tempted to draw a line between transects, etc. You will have to make Think ahead and make sure you location points A and B, and call it the time to eat, sleep, travel, get supplies, have access to the appropriate facili- boundary of a home range or a travel and possibly have a private life. Plan ties to do any analyses. Good GIS labs corridor. Meanwhile, and in between for bad weather days, meetings, and are few and far between, and complex locations, the bear was likely doing the fact that animals don’t always mapping may sometimes be over loop-de-loops around A and B and all follow your schedule. Your ideas to your head. Lab work such as genetic points in between, looking for a mate, sample food habits, look at intestinal analyses can be complicated and may being chased by other bears, trying parasites, and evaluate human at- require contracting someone to do it to find water, or maybe just randomly titudes on the side while you still try for you, or having to pay for the use of wandering through to get to a deli- to accomplish your primary objectives a lab. Don’t forget to figure the costs. cious patch of berries on the other are really nice, but remember that Permits side. It’s okay to present your results you will have to collect and analyze Many students are oblivious to the with confidence, but ask yourself lots all of that data, too. Better to do one fact that most bear projects require of questions and leave the presump- thing well than try to do many things some sort of research permit from tion out in the dumpster. poorly. Your final results will tell on state and/or federal agencies. If you’re Field Logistics you, and so will your mental health. handling any kind of controlled drug, Ask yourself and others whether then you have to have permits (i.e., what you are doing is logistically 5) Details, details... from the Drug Enforcement Agency in feasible. I especially recommend this Field Work the USA). Most PIs have already taken for those conducting research in You will never think of everything, care of permits for their students, less-developed countries. Our version but you can sure try. Round up equip- however, find out just to be sure. of technology is far from their version; ment lists from other biologists. Talk Many countries require permits for ask any of our friends who work on to people who have done research in foreign researchers, even if you’re just the Andean bear in South America. It your area, or other students affiliated collaborating. There’s little worse than takes them days just to haul one trap with your project. Find out about a researcher who is conducting work into the study area, and forget about the best techniques, best drugs, and illegally in some foreign country, and running to town for supplies. Before best equipment. Take a hike in the leaves his mess for the next guy who you start your project, talk to people woods and walk yourself through your comes along to try to get a permit. I who have already done field work methods. Please, for all of us, learn have had to deal with that one before, there. If it’s never been done, at least about animal handling from qualified and many governments consider it a talk to people who live in the area and professionals and not the “How to Do serious infraction when we think we’re are familiar with the species. a Bear Study on Five Dollars a Day” above and beyond the law. In addition, Time Schedule manual. Volunteer on other projects when collaborating, don’t leave it to Ask whether your objectives can be and learn how to do it until you feel your international partner to take care accomplished within the normal time you can safely trap on your own. of the details – permit requirements frame of a graduate program. Will it Money are very different for national vs. take you 10 years to observe trends The Principal Investigator (PI) is international visitors. Be account- in bear density? Be realistic. Most usually your advisor, so he/she will able for your own requirements. schools are putting hour-caps on grad- likely have prepared a budget. It is still Allow yourself an extra year for going uate programs because they’re getting a good idea for you to comb through through the right channels, and don’t tired of old and decrepit students get- the budget to give you a good under- be surprised if it takes longer. I recom- ting moldy in the hallways. Get your standing of your financial freedom mend that you latch onto someone degree, and then you can solve the versus your limitations. Think about who has worked there before, and find mysteries of the universe when you get possible repair expenses, travel mon- out where to go and what approach is a real job. Calculate the details of your ies, supplies, and analysis fees. If the best to get the permit process rolling. fieldwork, and remember that classes PI has not developed the budget, then Sometimes you must go through the have to fit somewhere in there. Take you should sit down with him/her embassy, or sometimes you can work heed of the fact that you do not wear and, with careful detail, estimate all of directly with the government. Regard-

32 International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 Student Forum

less, do it right, and don’t risk getting may not spot all of the red flags due sion for the upcoming IBA meetings booted out in the middle of your to their familiarity with the proposal. in Japan. Rumiko recently graduated research. In addition, people aren’t as apt to from the Tokyo University of Agri- criticize their own ideas. The editorial culture and Technology with a Ph.D. 6) The format process is one of the most humbling, in Agriculture where she studied Your institution will likely have but eye-opening, experiences known the feeding history of Asiatic black some format that they prefer for to the human race, especially in the bears through the use of carbon and the proposal (usually through your IBA. Remember; reserve your pride nitrogen stable isotopes. Her work has graduate office), but remember, don’t for your personalized website, but been very useful in helping to identify write it to solely meet their standards. practice honesty in science. Be open food habits of alpine vs. nuisance The proposal will be your guide for for input and criticism. If so, you’ll end bears in the Nagano Prefecture where the next several years, too. Find some up with a proposal that can’t be beat, human-bear conflicts have been proposals from other students or your and your project will likely follow in increasing in agricultural areas. Ru- advisor, and read them over to get an its path. miko joined the NPO Shinshu Asiatic idea of how they are set up. Creativity Following these suggestions will Black Bear Research Group, which is always encouraged within the pref- keep you from having to learn things has been addressing these issues for erences of your advisor. Many propos- the hard way and avoid a bunch of the past 10 years. Their efforts have als may shift or change a bit from the lumps on your head. Most important- helped to minimize these conflicts, beginning to the end of a project, and ly, however, it may be the pathway to and the group is now working on that is sometimes inevitable. However, a solid thesis or dissertation that will long-term conservation and manage- when you write your proposal, treat it eventually end up in some reputable ment plans based on sound scientific like a map that will get you to where journal...maybe even Ursus. Good data. Rumiko hopes to be an integral you need to go. No need to be exces- luck, and let us know how we can help! part of this process, and continue sively verbose; your advisor is probably her research with bears. Meanwhile, not short on reading material. Include she continues her work with other what you need, however, to keep your Student Spotlight stable isotopes and heavy metals, and objectives and methods clear in your Rumiko Nakashita, Japan studies of the Japanese macaque and mind. serow. In addition, she is coordinating I met Rumiko at the IBA conference a project about alpine ecosystems and in San Diego (2005) where she had acid-rain. Not only is she a strong sci- 7) The final revision trekked all the way from Japan to be entist, but she is a tremendous person Once you’ve completed your draft, a part of the student forum – what a and a great addition to our organiza- double-check with your advisor to breath of fresh air! She immediately tion. I hope she continues to be a see if it is alright to have an outside got involved with our group, and has strong representative for bears and for reviewer (or several) look it over. Why since accepted the responsibility of the IBA in Japan. (See her photo on an outside reviewer? Committees coordinating the student forum ses- the front cover of this issue.) Bears in Culture in northeast Ohio apparently said that Wrestling was introduced into the Bear Hugs said bear wrestling has been part of ancient Olympics in 708 BC, shortly his business for over 20 years albeit in after the Games’ recorded history On March 25, 2006, in Cleveland, a diminishing number of venues as at began in 776 BC. Ohio, an AP newspaper story ran least twenty states ban the practice. But wrestling has a long history describing the uproar that ensued be- With the possible exception of of being more than just a sport. It cause a nineteen year old, 140-pound track events, wrestling is probably has often been utilized as the basis high school wrestler and four-time the most ancient sport to have been for popular spectacle and theatrical state champion, had wrestled Caesar continuously practiced competi- drama – and wrestling wild animals, Jr., a 650-pound black bear, at the tively. Wrestling was depicted by early especially bears, is an old story in annual Cleveland Sport, Travel & civilizations. There are cave draw- human history. Outdoor Show and had pinned the ings of wrestlers from 3000 BC in Humans – and their gods and animal on its back. Sam Mazzola the the Sumero-Akkadian civilization heroes – have been wrestling with owner of the bear and of World Ani- and wall paintings of wrestlers from wild animals, including bears from mal Studios Inc., in Columbia Station ancient Egypt from about 2400 BC. very early times. In Greek and Roman

International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 33 Bears in Culture

legend, the gods wrestle with other mined outcome, and wagers by the same name) a part of his act from the gods, with goddesses, and with wild public lost to the carnival. 1950s until the 1990s. He was usually beasts. Hercules wrestled a lion By the 1930s, professional wrestling featured in a Handicap Match -- two and a bull. Latvia’s epic tale of 800 and the carnival menagerie acts had wrestlers against one wrestling bear. years ago, recounts the exploits of a merged; bear wrestling had become a He was toured in Canada through man—Lacplesis, the Bear Slayer—who staple of professional wrestling. The much of the year, going to the south- defended his homeland from all wrestlers took on the names of heroes ern United States during the winter. invaders, including bears, which he (i.e. Davy Crockett, the Destroyer) He wore a muzzle and his claws were killed in wrestling matches. American and on a nightly basis, engaged and cut short. His owner, the wrestler heroes fought bears, too. Davy defeating the wilderness in the form Dave McKingney, fought under Crockett was renowned not only as of a bear, usually a black bear, often several names including Gene DuBois, a bear hunter, but also for wrestling muzzled, declawed, and / or drugged. The Wildman, and The Canadian and defeating bears. Like the gods Bear Bryant, legendary coach of the Wildman. and heroes of earlier days, his battles University of Alabama football team In the 1980s, the appearance of symbolized the struggles between derived his nickname in 1927 when he a wrestling bear named Sampson good and evil, between civilization went to the Lyric Theatre in Fordyce, at sportsmen shows across Canada and the wild. Alabama, where an itinerant carni- drew protests and threats of legal Traveling variety shows, circuses, val-man and his bear were offering a action. Pressure from animal welfare and carnivals were a part of the cul- dollar a minute to anyone who would advocates and changing public values tural landscape of the western world wrestle a bear. Paul Bryant wrestled helped end most of the animal acts in from very early times. For hundreds of the bear and suffered a badly torn ear, professional wrestling in Canada. years there were wandering troupes of but the owner and the bear skipped The wrestling match between Cae- performers, clowns, and itinerant ani- town before Bryant could collect his sar the Bear, successor to Victor the mal trainers who put on exhibitions money. Wrestling Bear, and the High School at horse fairs and at markets. These Following the second World War, student last month in Ohio may signal often included wrestling matches wrestling bears were popular from the a similar result in the United States. involving wagered monies and people until the 1970s. They were considered fighting animals –particularly bears. novelty acts that played between Literature Cited However, traveling variety shows, the serious bouts of a professional Hoh, L. G. and W. H. Rough. 1990. carnivals, and circuses didn’t really wrestling match. Step Right Up! The Adventure of become a part of the North American The opening of Great Smoky the Circus in America. Betterway entertainment landscape until the Mountains National Park in 1934, Publications, Inc., White Hall, th end of the 18 century. These shows stimulated tourism in western North Virginia included the acrobats, equestrian Carolina. A variety of entertain- Loxton, H. 1997. The Golden Age of demonstrations, and juggling typical ments, reminiscent of the touring the Circus. Smithmark Publishers, of European traveling shows, but the carnivals of earlier years – chicken New York. North Americans added an edge: dancing, sharp-shooter exhibitions, http://www.thedestroyer.com/pho- menagerie acts that emphasized a dramas, and bear wrestling – were the tos4.htm Video of bear and “The daredevil quality. The menagerie mainstay of the economy of nearby Destroyer” wrestling Victor the acts were crafted to demonstrate the towns. In the 1970s, Victor the Bear Bear. triumph of humans over brute nature. was an attraction in Cherokee. For a http://video.google.com/ “Animal tamers” dressed as gladiators, small fee one go into the old wooden videoplay?docid=-27687917991372 kings, or mountain men, subdued amphitheater and see Victor, and at no 66271&pl=true Victor the bear on tigers, lions, and bears using whips, extra charge, you wrestle him. Victor Ed Sullivan. poles, and their bare hands. had a diverse career. He appeared on http://archives.cbc.ca/IDC-1-41-1237- Modern-day professional wrestling the Ed Sullivan Show, wrestled several 6839/sports/prowrestling/clip5 con- can trace its origins back to these opponents during the half time of an tains CBC audio footage describing early traveling carnivals, where show- Indiana Pacers halftime show in 1975, the fight. Between “Terrible Ted” men would challenge local spectators and was reputed to have a wrestling the bear and Bunny Dunlop. Jan. to compete with them or their animal record of 2001-0-1. 13, 1959. Reporter: Bob McGrath. in a ring. They would often place one Terrible Ted was another wres- http://homepage.mac.com/viktor2/ of there own members in the audience tling bear of the 1970s. He had been btw/Terrible%20Ted.html A web to answer the challenge, and the result purchased from a bankrupt touring site featuring photos of “Terrible would be a spectacle with a predeter- carnival act by Dave McKingney who Ted.” made him (or several bears of the

34 International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 Publications

and C. Keating. 2006. Temporal, Recent Bear Bellemain E., J. E. Swenson, and Spatial and Environmental Publications P. Taberlet. March 2006. Mating Influences on the Demographics Strategies in Relation to Sexually of Grizzly Bears in the Greater Tanya Rosen Selected Infanticide in a Non- Yellowstone Ecosystem. Wildlife 430 East 57th Street #12C Social Carnivore: the Brown Bear. Monographs 161 New York NY 10022, USA Ethology 112:238-246(9) Phone: +1 212-838-9095 Dixon J. D., M. K. Oli, M. C. Wooten, Email: [email protected] T. H. Eason, J. W. Mccown, and 8th Western Black D. Paetkau. February 2006. Richard B. Harris Effectiveness of a Regional Corridor Bear Workshop Ursus Editor in Connecting Two Florida Black Proceedings 218 Evans Bear Populations. Conservation Missoula MT 59801, USA Biology 20:155-162(8) Cecily M. Costello Phone/Fax: +1 406-542-6399 Lintzenich B.A, A. M. Ward, M. S. Wildlife Conservation Society Email: [email protected] Edwards, M. E. Griffin, and 2023 Stadium Drive, Suite 1A C. T. Robbins. 2006. Polar Bear Bozeman MT 59715, USA In addition to the occasional book Nutrition Guidelines at http:// Phone: +1 406-284-3477 reviews that have been published in www.polarbearsinternational. Email: [email protected] previous newsletter issues, IBN Lan- org/polar-bear-nutrition-guidelines guage Editor Tanya Rosen and Ursus Paisley S. and D. L. Garshelis. The Proceedings of the 8th West- Editor Richard Harris have embarked January 2006. Activity patterns ern Black Bear Workshop (Montana) on a new initiative to provide our and time budgets of Andean are now finished and available; see readership with references for recently bears (Tremarctos ornatus) in the order form on page 45 of this issue. published peer reviewed papers and Apolobamba Range of Bolivia. Any participants from the workshop other significant literary contributions Journal of Zoology 268:25 who have not received their copy to the fields of bear research and man- Schwartz C. C., M. A. Haroldson, by March 1 should contact Cecily agement. Below is our inaugural list G. C. White, R. B. Harris, S. Costello. of publications. We intend to publish Cherry, K. A. Keating, D. Moody, updates in every issue. Communications

and how to best respond if they do project committee. We also thank Polar Bears: meet a bear. the IBA for their cooperation on this a Guide to Safety Polar Bears: a Guide to Safety was important project. a collaborative effort of the SIBCS Funding for the video was obtained Grant MacHutchon with many people knowledgeable from an array of corporate and gov- Wildlife Biologist, M.Sc., R.P.Bio. about staying safe in ernment sources. Major 237 Curtis Road polar bear country, financial sponsors included Comox, BC, Canada V9M 3W1 including Inuit elders Government of Nunavut Phone/Fax: +1 250-339-5260 and polar bear hunt- Department of Environ- Email: [email protected] ers, other northern ment, Parks Canada, residents, research Government of Canada The Safety in Bear Country Society scientists, wildlife Habitat Stewardship Pro- (SIBCS) is pleased to announce the managers, and bear gram, Indian Affairs and release of their fourth program in the viewing operators. Northern Development, Safety in Bear Country video series: In particular, we and Devon Canada Cor- Polar Bears: a Guide to Safety. This would like to thank poration. Other contribu- program contains important informa- Andy Derocher and tors provided important tion on how people can reduce their Davidee Kooneeliusie financial contributions, chance of encountering a polar bear for their valuable service in kind, or valuable contributions to our video footage. © Michael W. Dulaney© Michael W.

International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 35 Communications

We are currently working on an an extensive section on black bears reintroduction of the Louisiana Black Inuktitut and a French Canadian including bear maps, research, photos, Bear and the importance of good version of the program and hope they and black bear voices. black bear habitat. We welcomed Ap- will be finished soon. The emphasis in Season of the palachian Bear Center’s Curator, Lisa All four SIBCS programs, including Bear, Volume II: Black Bear Cubs is Stewart, as she detailed how ABC, Polar Bears: a Guide to Safety, Staying habitat. It shows the life of a black Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Safe in Bear Country, Working in Bear bear from a newborn cub through and National Park Service, all work Country, and Living in Bear Country its first year. Unusual photography together to help orphaned and injured are available in VHF or DVD formats in this program includes 4-day-old cubs be rehabilitated and released from Distribution Access at: babies in the winter den, and also a back to the wild. And, we visited with • +1 888‑440-4640 (toll-free mother feeding mashed up acorns by C. W. Wathen of Chestatee Wildlife within the U.S. and Canada), mouth to a runt 8-month-old cub. The Preserve, who had provided us a tiny • Fax +1 780-440-8899, latter is a behavior that may not have peephole into a bear’s winter den and • www.distributionaccess.com, or been previously documented. Both who had just received an orphaned • [email protected] scenes are a valuable addition to our wild cub.” knowledge of black bear behavior. The For more information, please long scenes of wild black bear families contact myself or one of the other About the Telly Awards interacting with each other are truly members of the Safety in Bear Coun- The Telly Awards honor outstand- enlightening: bears in the forest, in try Society below. ing local, regional, and cable television trees, in pastures, running, playing, commercials and programs, as well as and nursing. 2-D and 3-D animations Grant MacHutchon the finest non-broadcast documentary illustrating habitat fragmentation and Safety in Bear Country Society productions. The 2006 Telly Awards the development of embryos enhance +1 250-339-5260 received over 12,000 entries from all the production. [email protected] 50 states and 5 continents. Entries are judged against a very high standard John Hechtel of merit. Judges score entries on a [email protected] performance scale and entries are recognized and awarded as Silver Stephen Herrero or Bronze Winners based on the [email protected] combined scoring of the judges who Andy McMullen evaluate each entry. For over a quarter [email protected] century, the Telly statuette has been a symbol of achievement of a very high Phil Timpany standard of creative excellence. [email protected]

Documentary Bear Series Collects Third Award Southeast U.S. husband and wife documentary filmmaking team, Kate “The interest in our bear projects Marshall and Al Harmon, share a from folks in wildlife protection across third win with their bear series. Kate the country has been greatly ap- Marshall Graphics, Inc.’s Season of preciated,” says Harmon. “In the cubs the Bear, Volume II: Black Bear Cubs program, Dr. Frank van Manen (U.S. has won a Telly in the 27th Annual Geological Survey, Appalachian Field 2006 Telly Awards’ category of Nature Branch) joined us to discuss mating and Wildlife Documentary. Their and neo-natal cubs. Paul Davidson educational website, www.covebear. of the Black Bear Conservation com, serves as a companion piece to Committee provided insight into the the conservation series, and offers

36 International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 Events 42nd North American Moose Conference 17th International Conference on June 12-16, 2006 Baddeck, Nova Scotia, Canada Bear Research and Management Challenges of Management throughout North America and October 2-6, 2006 Extremes in Population Density beyond. Nova Scotia Department of Natu- As conference plans develop, more Karuizawa Town, Nagano, ral Resources is pleased to host the detailed information will be posted at: Japan North American Moose Conference http://gov.ns.ca/natr/mooseconference. and Workshop, Toshiki Aoi which will be Planning committee chair held at the Faculty of Agriculture Inverary Resort Iwate University in the scenic 3-18-8 Ueda, Morioka-city community of Iwate 020-8550, Japan Baddeck, Nova Phone & Fax: +81 19 621 6136 Scotia. The Email: [email protected] conference will facilitate the Koji Yamazaki exchange of Planning committee secretary general scientific and Zoological Laboratory experimental Ibaraki Nature Museum knowledge 700 Osaki, Bando-city among moose Ibaraki 306-0622, Japan biologists Phone: +81 297 38 2000 Fax: +81 297 38 1999 © IGBST Email: [email protected]

The 17th IBA Conference will be First European Congress of the first IBA conference held in Asia. Conservation Biology The conference planning committee has been coordinating with govern- August 23-27, 2006 and because of the multi-disciplinary ment agencies, NGOs, and local Eger, Hungary nature of conservation biology, we aim organizations to ensure a successful to attract a wide array of academics, meeting. We hope that the confer- students, policy makers, stakeholders, Owen T. Nevin, Secretary ence will inspire more research and natural resource managers, and media European Section effective management plans for bears and NGO representatives from all Society for Conservation Biology in Asia. over Europe. We hope to establish a Email [email protected] multi-disciplinary network of con- Websites and Updates servationists across Europe drawing The European Section of the More information for the confer- on global expertise in conservation Society for Conservation Biology is ence will be announced in upcoming biology. The ECCB will also be host- pleased to announce the First Eu- issues of this newsletter and on our ing a meeting of the Large Carnivore ropean Congress of Conservation conference website: http://www. Initiative for Europe enabling you to Biology (ECCB). We are determined japanbear.org/iba/. For more details on gain the greatest benefit from your to promote the development and use the town of Karuizawa, visit the town’s travel budget! Abstract submissions of science for the conservation of Eu- website: http://www.town.karuizawa. are no longer being accepted. ropean species and ecosystems, and to nagano.jp/html/English/index.html For current information, visit the make sure that conservation policy is ECCB web page at www.eccb2006. firmly supported by the best available org . Conference Venue scientific evidence. For this reason, Karuizawa is a popular resort town located in the central part of

International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 37 Events

Japan. Half of the town is within the Poster session Students must provide evidence of Jyoshin-etsu Plateau National Park, Student Session (with dinner) university registration at the on-site which features 2000m mountains, Wednesday, October 4 registration desk. several volcanoes, and many hot Mid-Field Trip The deadline for application springs. A rich natural environ- Public Event: Education program through this site is 12:00 noon of ment in the park includes healthy about bears for Japanese pupil September 20, 2006, Japan Standard population of large mammals, such as Banquet Time (GMT+9). After that, only on- Japanese black bears (Ursus thibeta- Thursday, October 5 site registration is possible. Banquet, nus), wild boars (Sus scrofa), sika deer Oral session 6, 7 Mid-field trip, and/or Post Excursion (Cervus nippon), Japanese serows Workshops A, B application will not be accepted after (Capricornis crispus), and Japanese Friday, October 6 September 21, 1006. macaques (Macaca fuscata). Oral session 8, 9 Since the 1990s, bear-human con- Closing paper for Asian bears Accommodations flicts have become a major concern in Awards ceremony Reservations can be made and Karuizawa. Food-conditioned bears Closing remarks information on room rates for ac- repeatedly visit garbage stations in commodations near the conference residential areas. In 1998, efforts to Call for Papers and Posters site can be found on the following manage garbage bears were begun by Abstract submission closed on websites. a private institute, established by a April 14, 2006. Hotel at the conference site: resort company. http://www.hoshinoresort.com/IBA/ The conference site, Hotel Bleston lodging.html Court of Hoshino Resort, has sophis- Workshops and Meetings Another accommodation near the ticated facilities. There are a variety Acceptance of suggestions for conference site: https://entry.jtb.ne.jp/ of accommodations nearby. Leisure workshop has now been closed. Four me/registrye/registrye.asp?id=0497 activities available in the area include workshops are planned during the Room rates range from ¥5, 000 to hiking and bicycle trails, tennis conference as follows: ¥19, 000 per night, and there are more courts, golf courses, shopping malls, 1. Conflicts Between Human and inexpensive accommodations and art museums, and historic sites. Bears, dormitories for students. We are going Using the super-express rail from . Trade of Bears and Bear Parts to offer free breakfasts for students Narita International Airport, it takes • 3. Exchange of Bear’s NGO NPO in and inexpensive lunches during the about 21/2 hours to reach Karuizawa the world conference. (The fare is about ¥7, 000). 4. Natural history and cultural changes of the brown bear in Hokkaido, Japan Mid-Field Trips Conference Program The conference site is located near The conference will begin on We are still welcoming meet- base of Mt. Asama, an active volcano, Monday morning, October 2, and will ing suggestions. Please contact the and is surrounded by forests domi- end Friday afternoon, October 6. The program committee (iba2006_ws@ nated by larches, oaks, and chestnut tentative schedule as follows: japanbear.org) to schedule a meeting. trees. Asiatic black bears, serow, Sunday, October 1 Requests should include outline and macaques, and more than 80 species Registration expected size of the meeting. of birds inhibit the surrounding area. IBA Council Meeting Full or half-day trips will be offered Ice Breaker Registration in the middle of conference period Monday, October 2 We encourage participants to reg- and include hiking in the forest, serow Registration ister online. Please use the registra- watching, visiting sites where human- Welcome tion form on the conference website bear (or macaque) conflicts occur, and Opening remarks (http://www.japanbear.org/iba/) or on visiting Japanese sake cellars. Nature Oral session 1, 2 the following page. Fax Registration guides or bear management staff will Special workshop: Status and is available only with an International guide you on the trips. Please check conservation of Asian bears Postal Money Order. the website https://entry.jtb.ne.jp/me/ Public Event: History of human- registrye/registrye.asp?id=0497 for details and reservations. bear interaction in Japan Conference Fee Tuesday, October 3 Mid-field trip fee, post conference continued on page 41 ... Oral session 3, 4, 5 excursion, and accommodation fees IBA Business Meeting are not included.

38 International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 Please facsimile to: IBA 2006 Planning committee Secretary general: Koji Yamazaki Ibaraki Nature Museum Fax: +81-297-38-1999

IBA 2006 Japan Registration Form

PLEASE USE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS * = required information Name* First Name: Middle Name: Family Name: Affiliation*  Address*

Postal Code* Country* Above address is*  OFFICE  HOME Phone* Fax* Email* Title*  Mr.  Ms. Registration Type*  Regular (On or Before March 31, ¥19,000 On or After April 1st, ¥24,000)  Student (On or Before March 31,¥10,000 On or After April 1st, ¥15,000) Total*:¥ 

International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 39 Registration for the Banquet:

Banquet*  Will Not attend  Will attend Number of Accompanying Persons Participants  Applicant (¥5,000)  Accompanying Person-1 (¥5,000)  Accompanying Person-2 (¥5,000)  Accompanying Person-3 (¥5,000 )  Accompanying Person-4 (¥5,000 )  Accompanying Person-5 (¥5,000 ) Total*: ¥ Accompanying Person-1 First Name: Middle Name: Family Name: Title:  Mr.  Ms.

Accompanying Person-2 First Name:  Middle Name: Family Name: Title:  Mr.  Ms. Accompanying Person-3 First Name: Middle Name: Family Name: Title:  Mr.  Ms. Accompanying Person-4 First Name: Middle Name: Family Name: Title:  Mr.  Ms. Accompanying Person-5 First Name: Middle Name: Family Name: Title:  Mr.  Ms.

TOTAL AMOUNT*: ¥ 

40 International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 Events

... continued from 38 above sea level, where the turn of Fax: +81 297-38-1999 colors begins a little earlier. You will IBA 2006 Planning Committee 1. Visit human-bear (or monkey) search for the Japanese serows eating Secretary general: Koji Yamazaki conflicts area the grasses leisurely at the place called Ibaraki Nature Museum Touring around the place where the “Serow Plain”, where the rock face friction is being caused by the appear- raises up very sheer. You can also get • The deadline for application ance and harm of the bears and the close to the active volcano, Asama Mt. through this site is 12:00 noon of monkeys in the town. Your guide will Capacity: 20 persons (Minimum September 6, 2006 Japan Standard be special staff taking local measures number of participants required: 10 Time (GMT+9). After that, online against this problem. You might meet persons) registration and on-site registration a pride of wild monkeys. Fare: ¥10,600 (including lunch and are possible. Banquet application will Capacity: 60 persons (Minimum transportation) not be accepted after September 21, number of participants required: 10 Time: 8:00-17:00 2006. persons) • Students must present their Student Identification Card to the Fare: ¥5,600 (including lunch and 5. Japanese sake cellar transportation expenses) Take a tour of a Japanese sake cellar Registration Desk on the day of IBA Time: 9:00-13:00 and while at the cellar, you can of 2006 conference. course try tasting and buy what you • Only International Postal Money Order is possible for Fax Registration. 2. National forest walking like. Please send the required amount to In autumn as the harvest season, Capacity: 60 persons (Minimum the address indicated below. Only bears and many other animals are number of participants required: 10 Japanese yen (¥) is accepted for the running around in a hurry to get ready persons) payment. Please note that the par- for the severe winter. You will walk in Fare: ¥3,600 (including lunch and ticipant should pay all the outgoing the colorful forest in autumn seeing transportation) and incoming handling fees. You may the traces of those animals with the Time: 9:00-12:30, 13:00-16:30 (2 be asked to pay the balance for any local guide. times) unforeseen fees associated with the Capacity: 90 person (Minimum receiving of postal money orders. number of participants required: 10 Post conference tours person) A variety of tours will be offered Beneficiary Name: Fare: ¥3,100 (including lunch) following the conference including Koji Yamazaki Time: 9:00-12:30, 13:00-16:30 trekking in bear habitat, learning IBA 2006 Japan Secretary General (two times) about traditional hunting culture in Beneficiary Address: Japan, and visiting a zoo. Tours will Ibaraki Nature Museum 3. Bear forest trekking be 3 or 4 days long and guided by bear 700 Osaki, Bando-city, Ibaraki Autumn is the important season researchers. Please see the website 306-0622 Japan for the black bears to get ready for https://entry.jtb.ne.jp/me/registrye/ hibernation. In the forest, you can see registrye.asp?id=0497 for details and traces of their living in any number of reservations. places. You will enter the bear forest with special staff working for conser- Travel grants vation and administration of the black Acceptance of travel grant applica- bears in Karuizawa. You may meet tion closed on March 31, 2006. wild animals (monkeys, wild boars, serows etc.) living in Karuizawa. Capacity: 20 person (Minimum IUCN Bear Specialist meeting number of participants required: 10 A full day BSG meeting will be person) held on October 7, 2006, nearby the Fare: ¥10,600 (including lunch and conference site. The detail will be transportation) announced at our website. Time: 9:00-17:00 Registration Forms 4. Japanese serow watching • Please facsimile the registration The base of Mt. Asama is beauti- form to the following number:. ful with autumn colors located high

International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 41 Events

on bear conservation at a critical sponsorship should support 18th International point, and will encourage biologists to conference meals, field trips, and Conference on seek bear research and management special events, keeping registration training. costs at a minimum. The OCV is Bear Research and Monterrey is very progressive, and funding organization and printing. Management conference facilities are ideal. An in- Monterrey’s two distinguished ternational airport has 250 daily direct universities are assisting so student flights from major cities. The Monter- participation should be high. Direct Fall 2007 rey Office of Conventions and Visitors communication with the Mexican Monterrey, Mexico (OCV) has coordinated UN meetings Consulate will ensure smooth travel at the CINTERMEX Conference for non-North Americans. Canadian Diana Doan-Crider Facility and will help organize the IBA and USA visitors need a Tourist Visa King Ranch Inst. for Ranch conference at the same venue on entry which requires a passport or Management (www.cintermex.com.mx/ and birth-certificate (2004 regulations). MSC 137 www.parquefundidora.org/), including Nearby are the historic downtown, Texas A&M University-Kingsville translation services (Spanish, natural, and scenic areas. Field trips Kingsville TX 78363-8202, USA Russian, Japanese, etc.), field trips, will include Chipinque, Sierra los Phone: +1 361-593-5407 travel permits, and logistics. Five- Picachos, and Cumbres National Fax: +1 361-593-5404 star lodging (US$80/night/2004) is Parks (American black bear study Email: [email protected] connected to the 350-acre enclosed areas), Garcia Caves, Horsetail Falls site, which includes an eco-park, and Mina Archeological Area. Nature David G. Hewitt museums, banks, restaurants, family watching includes red-fronted parrots, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Inst. areas and an immaculate, newly migratory songbirds and monarch MSC 218 renovated international hostel (225 butterflies. The OCV will also coordi- Texas A&M University-Kingsville beds, US$6/night/2004). Cheaper nate discount travel for those wishing Kingsville, TX 78363-8202, USA hotels (US$30-45/night) are within to visit more of Mexico. Phone: +1 361-593-3963 a five-minute metro-ride. Corporate Fax: +1 361-593-3924 Email: [email protected]

Rodrigo Medellin L. Centro de Ecologia Universidad Autonoma de Mexico Apartado Postal 70-275 04510 Mexico, DF, Mexico Email: [email protected]. unam.mx Phone: +52-5-5622-9042 Fax: +52-5-5622-8995

Monterrey, Mexico’s third largest city (two hours south of the USA), is beautifully situated in the Tamaulipan thornscrub/Chihuahuan desert at 800 masl next to the Sierra Madre Oriental Mountains which rise dramatically 2,000 m to pine/oak forests. Autumn promises bear activity and pleasant weather. Nearby increasing bear-human conflicts make interest in bears high. Bear research and management has state and federal attention, but there is no active conservation strategy. This conference will focus attention

42 International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 IBA Membership Application Please Complete Both Sides of Form. Mail or Fax to Address Below. Name______Affiliation______

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Thank you for completing the survey. Please tear out and mail or fax! 44 International Bear News May 2006, vol. 15 no. 2 IBA Publications Order Form Ursus Journal & IBA Conference Proceedings* Cost* Quantity Total 4th 1980 Montana 1977 $30.00 5th 1983 Wisconsin 1980 $30.00 6th 1986 Arizona 1983 $30.00 7th 1987 Virginia/Yugoslavia 1986 $35.00 8th 1990 British Columbia 1989 $40.00 9th (1) 1994 Montana 1992 $45.00 9th (2) 1997 France 1992 $25.00 10th 1998 Ursus-Alaska/Sweden 1995 $40.00 11th 1999 Ursus 11 $45.00 12th 2001 Ursus 12 $45.00 13th 2002 Ursus 13 $45.00 14th 2003 Ursus 14 Volumes 1 & 2 $45.00 15th 2004 Ursus 15 Volumes 1 & 2 $45.00 16th 2005 Ursus 16 inc. Std. Membership $45.00 *40% discount for 3 or more volumes, except Ursus 13, 14, 15, & 16 Less 40% discount (-$ ) Eastern Black Bear Workshop Proceedings, USA 10th 1991 Arkansas 1990 $15.00 11th 1992 New Hampshire 1992 $15.00 13th 1996 Vermont 1996 $15.00 14th 1997 Mississippi 1997 $15.00 15th 2002 Massachusetts 1999 $15.00 16th 2001 South Carolina 2001 $15.00 Western Black Bear Workshop Proceedings, USA 4th 1993 California 1991 $15.00 5th 1995 Utah 1995 $15.00 6th 2003 Washington 1997 $15.00 8th 2005 Montana 2003 $15.00 Safety in Bear Country Videos Staying Safe in Bear Country $20.00

 Staying Safe in Bear Country & Working in Bear Country $30.00 Please fill out form legibly! fill legibly! Please form out Staying Safe in Bear Country with Public Performance Rights $69.00 Staying Safe in Bear Country & Working in Bear Country $129.00 with Public Performance Rights Monographs of the IBA A Proposed Delineation of Critical Grizzly Bear Habitat in the Yellowstone Region by F. Craighead (#1, 1977) $10.00 The Status and Conservation of the Bears of the World by C. Servheen (#2, 1989) $10.00 Density-Dependent Population Regulation of Black, Brown and Polar Bears edited by M. Taylor (#3, 1994) $10.00 Population Viability for Grizzly Bears: A Critical Review by M. Boyce, B. Blanchard, R. Knight, C. Servheen (#4, 2001) $10.00  US$ Check or Money Order - Make Payable to: IBA TOTAL US$  Mastercard  Visa Card # Expiration Date Customer # (for government cards)

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Harry Reynolds, President ‡ Andrew Derocher ‡ Michael R. Vaughan ˆ PO Box 80843 Department of Biological Science Virginia Cooperative Fairbanks AK 99708, USA University of Alberta Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Phone: +1 907-479-5169 Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada 148 Cheatham Hall, Virginia Tech Email: [email protected] Phone: +1 780-492-5570 Blacksburg VA 24061-0321, USA Fax: +1 780-492-9234 Phone: +1 540-231-5046 Piero Genovesi Email: [email protected] Fax: +1 540-231-7580 Vice President for Eurasia ˆ Email: [email protected] INFS-National Wildlife Institute Isaac Goldstein ˆ Via Ca’ Fornacetta 9 Wildlife Conservation Society Koji Yamazaki ‡ I-40064 Ozzano Emilia BO, Italy PO Box 833 Zoological Laboratory Phone: +39 051 6512228 IPOSTEL Merida Ibaraki Nature Museum Fax: +39 051 796628 Estado Merida, Venezuela 700 Osaki Email: [email protected] Phone: +58 414-7176792 Iwai-city, Ibaraki 306-0622, Japan Email: [email protected] Phone: +81 297 38 2000 Karen Noyce Fax: +81 297 38 1999 Vice President for Americas ‡ John Hechtel ‡ Email: [email protected] Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources Alaska Department of Fish and Game 1201 East Highway 2 1800 Glenn Highway, Suite 4 Diana Doan-Crider (non-voting) Grand Rapids MN 55744, USA Palmer AK 99645, USA IBA Student Affairs Coordinator Phone: +1 218-327-4432 Phone: +1 907-746-6331 King Ranch Institute for Ranch Fax: +1 218-327-4181 Fax: +1 907-746-6305 Management Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] MSC 137 Texas A&M University-Kingsville Joseph Clark, Secretary ‡ Djuro Huber ˆ Kingsville TX 78363-8202, USA U.S. Geological Survey University of Zagreb Phone: +1 361-593-5407 Southern Appalachian Field Laboratory Biology Department, Veterinary Faculty +1 361-593-5401 KRIRM Office University of Tennessee Heinzelova 55, 10000 Zagreb Fax: +1 361-593-5404 274 Ellington Hall Republic of Croatia Email: [email protected] Knoxville TN 37996, USA Phone: +385 1 2390 141 Phone: +1 865-974-4790 Fax: +385 1 244 1390 Matthew E. Durnin (non-voting) Fax: +1 865-974-3555 Email: [email protected] International Bear News Editor Email: [email protected] California Academy of Sciences Ole Jakob Sørensen ‡ Ornithology and Mammalogy Frank van Manen, Treasurer ‡ Nord-trondelag University College 875 Howard St. U.S. Geological Survey Faculty of Social Sciences and Natural San Francisco CA 94103, USA Southern Appalachian Field Laboratory, Resources Phone: +1 415-321-8369 University of Tennessee Box 2501 Fax: +1 415-321-8637 274 Ellington Hall N-7729 Steinkjer, Norway China Phone: +8 13701063064 Knoxville TN 37996, USA Phone: +47 74112052 Email: [email protected] Phone: +1 865-974-0200 Fax: +47 74112101 Fax: +1 865-974-3555 Email: [email protected] Richard B. Harris (non-voting) Email: [email protected] Ursus Editor 218 Evans Missoula MT 59801, USA Phone & Fax: +1 406-542-6399 Email: [email protected]

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About the International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA) The International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA) is a non-profit tax-exempt organization (USA tax #94-3102570) open to professional biologists, wildlife managers, and others dedicated to the conservation of all bear species. The organization has over 550 members from over 50 countries. It supports the scientific management of bears through research and distribution of information. The IBA sponsors international conferences on all aspects of bear biology, ecology, and management. The proceedings are published as peer-reviewed scientific papers in the journal Ursus. IBA Mission Statement Goal: The goal of the International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA) is to promote the conservation and restoration of the world’s bears through science-based research, management, and education. Objectives: In support of this goal, IBA’s objectives are to: 1. Promote and foster well-designed research of the highest professional standards. 2. Develop and promote sound stewardship of the world’s bears through scientifically based population and habitat management. 3. Publish and distribute, through its conferences and publications, peer-reviewed scientific and technical information of high quality addressing broad issues of ecology, conservation, and management. 4. Encourage communication and collaboration across scientific disciplines and among bear researchers and managers through conferences, workshops, and newsletters. 5. Increase public awareness and understanding of bear ecology, conservation, and management by encouraging the translation of technical information into popular literature and other media, as well as through other educational forums. 6. Encourage the professional growth and development of our members. 7. Provide professional counsel and advice on issues of natural resource policy related to bear management and conservation. 8. Maintain the highest standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity. 9. Encourage full international participation in the IBA through the siting of conferences, active recruitment of international members and officers, and through financial support for international research, travel to meetings, memberships, and journal subscriptions. 10. Through its integrated relationship with the Bear Specialist Group of the World Conservation Union (IUCN)/Species Survival Commission, identify priorities in bear research and management and recruit project proposals to the IBA Grants Program that address these priorities. 11. Build an endowment and a future funding base to provide ongoing support for IBA core functions and for the IBA Grants Program. 12. Support innovative solutions to bear conservation dilemmas that involve local communities as well as national or regional governments and, to the extent possible, address their needs without compromising bear conservation, recognizing that conservation is most successful where human communities are stable and can see the benefits of conservation efforts. 13. Form partnerships with other institutions to achieve conservation goals, where partnerships could provide additional fund- ing, knowledge of geographical areas, or expertise in scientific or non-scientific sectors.

Deadline for the August 2006 issue is July 5, 2006 printed with soy-based ink on 100% recycled, post-consumer waste paper