The Effects of Human Menstrual Odors Other Scents and Ringed Seal Vocalizations on the Polar Bear
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University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 1980 The effects of human menstrual odors other scents and ringed seal vocalizations on the polar bear Bruce S. Cushing The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Cushing, Bruce S., "The effects of human menstrual odors other scents and ringed seal vocalizations on the polar bear" (1980). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 7257. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/7257 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. COPYRIGHT ACT OF 1976 Th is is an unpublished m a n u sc r ip t in w hich c o p y r ig h t sub s i s t s . Any further r e p r in t in g of it s contents must be approved BY THE AUTHOR. MANSFIELD L ibrary UNIVERSIY^FgH^TANA Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. THE EFFECTS OF HUMAN MENSTRUAL ODORS, OTHER SCENTS, AND RINGED SEAL VOCALIZATIONS ON THE POLAR BEAR By Bruce S. Cushing B.S., Arizona State University, 1977 Presented in partial fulfillm ent of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA 1980 Approved by: Chairman^:^oafd of Examiners Dean, Graduate School Date Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: EP38058 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMT OMMrtation PuWiahmg UMI EP38058 Published by ProQuest LLC (2013). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQ^st: ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Cushing, Bruce S., M.S., Spring 1980 W ildlife Biology The Effects of Human Menstrual Odors, Other Scents, and Ringed Seal Vocalizations on the Polar B^r (49 pp.) Director: Charles J. Jonkel This research was an experimental Investigation to determine what types of odors and sounds are possible attractants to the polar bear (Ursus maritimus). The polar bear made an ideal study animal because its responses to the odor from their natural prey, the ringed seal (Phoca hispida), could be established and used as a definitive attractant. The responses to seal scents were then utilized as a standard for determining the relative attractiveness of other substances. In the laboratory portion of this study, only seal scents and menstrual blood odors elicited a maximal response from a ll of the captive bears. In the fie ld , used tampons were detected by scent 65.4% of the time. After detection, the bears tracked the scent to its source and the used tampons were then usually consumed. In both the laboratory and fie ld , other animal scents and human female blood were also presented to the bears. The responses to blood and the other animal scents were generally minimal or none. The lack of responses to these la tte r odors, together with the strength of the responses to menstrual odors, clearly indicate that menstrual odors attract polar bears, and that some aspect peculiar to menstrual blood elicited this attraction. The field results also indicate that free-ranging polar bears were attracted by potential food and pseudo-food scents. Two captive bears displayed a strong positive response to ringed seal vocalizations which had been recorded under water, and no response to the control vocalizations. Polar bears are therefore capable of recognizing and differentiating the underwater calls of their major prey species. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I thank my advisor Dr. Charles Jonkel, School of Forestry, University of Montana, for his moral, financial, and critical support with this study and thesis, and the rest of my committee, Drs. Bart O'Gara and B. McClelland, for their critic al comments and direction. I also thank the following for their encouragement and support: Dr. M. L. Cushing, Anne Cushing, Gary M iller, Janet E llis ; John Hicks, Paul Ratson, Veronica Hamilton, Pat Meeker, Roy Bukowsky, the Churchill Health Center, International Flavors and Fragrances and Kenyon Piece Dyeworks, Inc. (for supplying some of the test stimuli), Drs. I. Stirling and J. Terhune for providing the recorded seal vocalizations, and fin a lly my special thanks to Nancy Lucas for her unending and excellent assistance in the Bear Laboratory and fie ld . This study was funded in part by funds from the National Science Foundation, NSF-7617644, C. Jonkel and B. O'Gara principle investigators, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and East Kootenay Operators Association (Cranbrook, B.C.), and the Manitoba Department of Mines, Natural Resources, and the Environment. 111 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT i i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................ i i i LIST OF TABLES................................................................................................. v LIST OF FIGURES............................................................................................ vi CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. I I I . MATERIALS AND METHODS ................................................................ 6 Laboratory ................................................................................ 6 F ie ld ............................................................................................ 9 I I I . RESULTS.............................................................................................. 13 L a b o ra to ry .............................................. 13 F ie ld ............................................................................................ 19 IV. DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS............................................................ 29 Heart Rate Transm itters ...................................................... 29 Feeding........................................................................................ 30 Vocalizations ........................................................................... 30 Scents and Menstrual Odors .............................................. 33 V. MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................... 41 VI. SUMMARY............................................................................................. 44 REFERENCES CITED ............................................................................................ 47 IV Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF TABLES T a b le Page 1. The laboratory responses of polar bears to various test stimuli........................................................................................ 15 2. The laboratory responses of polar bears to vocalizations .................................................................................... 18 3. The number and types of polar bear responses to field test stimuli, 1978 ............................................................................ 20 4. The mean duration of polar bear responses (in seconds) to test stimuli, 1978 21 5. The number and types of polar bear responses to field test stimuli, 1979 ............................................................................ 23 6. The mean duration of polar bear responses (in seconds) to test stimuli, 1979 26 7. Supplemental results to 1979 field tests of those stimuli that were field tested o n ly ...................................... 28 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. A diagram of the cage-room with observation booth, showing the location of the testing devices (Churchill Bear Laboratory) .......................................................... 7 2. Map showing a view of the study area located around Klein Tower........................................................................................... 10 3. Graphic display of the mean duration of response in fie ld tests from Table 4 ..................................................................... 22 4. Graphic display of the mean duration of response in fie ld tests from Table 6 ..................................................................... 27 VI Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without