Fall 2019 Vol

International Bear News

Tri-Annual Newsletter of the International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA) and the IUCN/SSC Bear Specialist Group Fall 2019 Vol. 28 no. 3

Karelian Bear Dogs hazing an American black bear (Ursus americanus) off-leash following the bear’s capture in a human-bear conflict situation. Photo credit: JT Humphrey AKAwolf.com. See page 28-29 for more on using Karelian Bear Dogs for black bear management.

IBA website: www.bearbiology.org Table of Contents

International Bear News 3 International Bear News, ISSN #1064-1564

IBA President/IUCN BSG Co-Chairs 4 President’s Column 6 What if “What the Doctor Ordered” Was Symposium Reports Just a Best Guess? 31 Working together to save sun bears! The 2nd International Symposium on Sun Bear IBA Member News Conservation and Management 8 Transition News 10 2019 IBA Election Information Conference Announcements 33 27th International Conference On Bear Research & Management, September 21 – Conservation 25, 2020, Kalispell, Montana, United States 15 New Hope 140 Years after Extirpation of Brown Bears in Białowieża Forest, Workshop Announcements Poland–Belarus 17 Kaiberen Wildlife Research and 34 Human-Bear Conflict Conference, October Conservation Project: Brown Bear Tracking 4-7, 2021, Lake Tahoe, Nevada, United in the Kyrgyz Republic States 19 A Close Interaction Between a Brown Bear 34 25th Eastern Black Bear Workshop, 2021. and a Wolf in the Central Apennines (Italy) Wisconsin 34 The 3rd International Symposium on Sun

Bear Conservation and Management Biological Research 23 Contents of Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus) Scat and the Bear’s Potential Student Forum to Disperse Vaccinium floribundum 34 Truman Listserv and Facebook Page in the Forest, Ecotone, and Páramo of Pacaipampa (Ayabaca, Piura, Peru) Publications 26 Red Rock Desert Black Bears: Using Stable 35 Recent Bear Literature Isotope Analysis to Estimate Dispersal IBA Officers & Council Manager’s Corner 42 Executive Council Members and Ex-Officio 28 Using Karelian Bear Dogs off-leash while Members hazing black bears 29 Learning from Orphan Black Bears in BSG Expert Team Chairs Alberta 43 Bear Specialist Group Team Chairs

2 International Bear News Fall 2019, vol. 28 no. 3 Table of Contents International Bear News, ISSN #1064-1564 Tri-Annual Newsletter of the International Association for Bear Research and Management Editors: Mark Edwards (Managing Editor) Amy Macleod (Layout & Design) Merrill Maben (Proofing) Alpha Graphics, Bozeman, MT, USA (Printing and Distribution) Coordinated by: Jennapher Teunissen van Manen, 907 Jessie Way Bozeman, MT 59715 Email: [email protected]

Website: www.bearbiology.org Back issues are available at www.bearbiology.org 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 regional correspondents by email are preferred; otherwise, mail or fax to the address above. IBA reserves the right to accept, reject, and edit submissions.

Correspondents: Western US and Canada: Carrie Lowe, Email: [email protected] Eastern US and Canada: Jared Laufenberg, Email: [email protected] Central and South America: Marco Enciso, Email:[email protected] Europe: Stefanie Franke, Email: [email protected] Central Asia: Tatjana Rosen, Email: [email protected] Zoo and Captive Bear Organizations: Jordan Schaul, Email:[email protected] Bear Specialist Group: Dave Garshelis, Email:[email protected] Manager’s Corner: Carl Lackey, Email: [email protected] All other submission and/or inquiries: Mark Edwards, Email: [email protected] Consult website for submission guidelines. Deadline for the Spring 2020 issue is 05 February 2020.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this issue. Artwork is copyrighted – Do not reproduce without permission.

For Membership Information and Publication Ordering Go to www.bearbiology.com to order or renew memberships, make donations, and/or update member information.

The use of the IBA logo at the end of The use of the BSG logo at the end of The use of the IBA-BCF logo at the an article indicates articles submit- an article indicates articles submitted beginning of an article signifies ted via the IBA regional correspon- via the Bear Specialist Group. work that was supported, at least in dents and the IBN editorial staff. part, by the Bear Conservation Fund through an IBA grant.

International Bear News Fall 2019, vol. 28 no. 3 3 IBA President President’s Column

Andreas Zedrosser, Current IBA President Frank T. van Manen, IBA President 2008 - 2013 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Karen V. Noyce, IBA President 2014 - 2016 Harry Reynolds, IBA President 2001 - 2007 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

For my last column as president of IBA, I have invited the past 3 IBA presidents (Harry Reynolds, 2001-2007; Frank van Manen, 2008-2013; Karen Noyce, 2014-2016) to join me in conveying to you our shared excitement about IBA’s future. The excitement is this: that in implementing a series of incremental structural changes, IBA is taking courageous steps to better pursue its mission, growing its programs in accordance with the clear wishes of you, the members, and the continuing needs of bears. Where did this start? For many years, IBA functioned successfully as a small, growing, volunteer-based non-profit professional organization. But in time, its growth — in conferences, quality of the IBN newsletter, grants programs, web presence, student programs, and member services — created increasingly unsustainable workloads for key IBA Council members and other volunteers. Having served in various positions (President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Councilor) for a combined 66 years, we’ve been a part of and witnessed the workload of IBA’s volunteers grow to unsustainable levels. Yet, at the same time, we know IBA members enthusiastically support these programs and their continued growth and improvement. Most notably, this was communicated loudly and clearly in the 2015 member survey, the results of which were presented in the plenary session in Anchorage, 2016. Council’s challenge was clear: how to prevent volunteer burnout and ensure integrity in operations, but continue to pursue IBA’s mission and enhance IBA’s impact in ways desired by members and IBA leadership alike. Shortly after the Anchorage conference, Council received an amazing offer for pro bono assistance from the management consultant company, Oliver Wyman (OW). In the fall of 2017 (at the IBA conference in Quito), with input from dozens of key IBA and BSG leaders and members, the OW team drafted a blueprint for incremental structural change that could enable IBA to grow its programs for greater impact on multiple fronts. For several months, Council worked on that plan and adjusted it to ensure IBA’s unique scientific mission and supportive professional culture was maintained. Last year, prior to the Ljubljana conference, 20+ Council and committee chairs participated in a one-day workshop to refine this plan and start mapping the way forward (what became known as the “transition”). So, what exactly is this “transition”?? From the start, there was overwhelming consensus among Council and other key volunteers that to pursue any growth in programs (and indeed, even to responsibly maintain the status quo), the only reasonable option was to explore hiring one or more key executive staff to relieve Council of operational tasks, assist with strategic outreach and planning, and, critically, to develop sustainable funding for IBA to further deliver on its core goals, as articulated in the Bylaws. On the IBA website you can view a summary of the final plan that Council formally adopted last winter for these stepwise structural changes to IBA . The plan outlines an organization with a significantly larger annual budget, enabling IBA to have several employees and a much more robust budget for delivering on its core goals. Most support will come from outside sources, as per the current Bear Conservation Fund, so IBA will not be limited by the modest revenues from memberships and publications, nor driven to rely on constantly boosting membership for funding. The initial staff will include 1) a Director of Transition, hired first to professionally support the evolution of IBA, and 2) an Executive Director, ideally a person with a strong track record in fundraising, non-profit administration, and working in partnership with a Board of Directors. The Executive Director will be directed by, and report to, IBA Council, with chief duties of fundraising, assisting in IBA’s development of a long-term strategic plan, overseeing general operations, ensuring quality and compliance, and growing the grants programs. Council will continue to set all direction and policy. At some point after the Executive Director is in place, the Director of Transition will morph into a Director of Member Services and Capacity Building. This position will be responsible for assuring excellent member services, providing support and consistency for conferences and committees, and for actively exploring ways to serve members, for example through further development of the Experience and Exchange grants and other training opportunities. The plan envisions that eventually a Director of Grants and Conservation will oversee the administration and strategic expansion of grants programs, working with a broad advisory committee of IBA professionals in bear science, management

4 International Bear News Fall 2019, vol. 28 no. 3 IBA President research, and conservation. With their guidance, grant programs can be tailored to the best use of funding in different regions of the world and to align with priorities identified in official conservation plans, such as the recent IUCN/BSG Conser- vation Action Plan for Sun Bears. Legal reviews of IBA’s bylaws by an attorney ensures that all actions by Council thus far are in accordance with IBA’s bylaws. Quo vadis IBA? As you might know from IBA communications last spring, Council implemented the first step of its “transition” last January, hiring Jennapher Teunissen van Manen as the full-time Director of Transition. As someone intimately knowledge- able of IBA’s operations, she was the perfect candidate and hit the ground running. She has assumed responsibility for many tasks that were overwhelming the President and Secretary and she coordinates the myriad of steps necessary for this process. As former and current presidents of IBA, we cannot overstate how transformative this has already been for IBA’s leadership. Council can now count on timeliness, thoroughness, and attention to detail in executed tasks. Requirements for operating as a legal non-profit do not fall through the cracks. Record-keeping has improved immensely. And many members are expressing their appreciation for improvements they are already experiencing in member services and internal communications. Council is now engaged in implementing the next step — hiring an Executive Director. A nationwide search yielded a selection of highly experienced, engaging candidates and the search committee has sent its recommendations to Council. Where is the money coming from for this? Everybody working with science and conservation is painfully aware that raising money is difficult and time-consuming. Hiring employees, such as an Executive Director and a Director of Transition, is certainly expensive. However, no member dues are paying for this transition. IBA has secured $200,000 in grants from an anonymous donor specifically to fund staff and other costs through about 18 months of the transition process. In addition, IBA Council last year unanimously voted to invest $40,000 into its own future, funded out of growth in IBA’s invested assets. The Director of Transition and especially the Executive Director are hired with the understanding that employment beyond the grant monies IBA has procured for transition will be contingent upon their success in developing sustainable funding sources. Thus, IBA will remain financially sound, even if the Executive Director does not produce and the transition cannot continue. Should this happen, then IBA can fall back to its all-volunteer based structure. That said, IBA Council would never have started on this path if there was not a very good chance of success. Many career philanthropists and fundraisers have advised us that IBA has a very good chance of being successful in this transformation. Even without strong skill sets to fund-raise effectively, BCF chairs Karen Noyce and Julia Bevins, with key assistance from John Hechtel and others, have managed to quintuple annual BCF donations for grants in the past 15 years. However, the fund-raising world can be brutal, and this is exactly why we plan to hire an Executive Director skilled in fundraising. The future is now! Coming to this point has been a long, cautious, and gradual process, and very much a team effort among IBA’s Execu- tive Committee, Council, Committee Chairs, and members. We are excited by the possibilities ahead to enhance our core mission. Importantly, the transition does not change IBA’s mission, goals, or core values as articulated in the Bylaws. Rather, these administrative changes should enable IBA to break out of the severe time and resource constraints of being an all- volunteer organization. We understand that these changes may raise concerns among some of you, but we have been very careful and deliberate and see little risk to IBA in implementing these first steps. After all, many other professional organizations, such as The Wildlife Society, have successfully taken similar steps. IBA absolutely possesses the potential to grow and provide more benefits for its members as well as for bear research, management, and conservation worldwide. Imagine an IBA in which the professional programs (conferences, networking, publications, training) and grants programs work synergistically; where resources are available to assure that all grant recipients can attend IBA conferences, both for their own professional growth and so that all IBA members can learn in real time from the experiences of those IBA is financially supporting in the field; where IBA can provide more grants for student travel to conferences, for experience and exchange, and for other types of training; where IBA can meaningfully support larger or longer-term projects such as distribution surveys, long-term monitoring, or community conservation initiatives, and can work in partnership with other organizations to help fund the development and implementation of sound conservation plans. We, as past and current IBA presidents, hope and trust that future presidents and Councils will continue on this forward-oriented path for the greater good of IBA, its members, and, most importantly, the future of bears worldwide! Andreas, Karen, Frank, and Harry

International Bear News Fall 2019 vol. 28 no. 3 5 IUCN BSG Co-Chairs What if “What the Doctor Ordered” Was Just a Best Guess?

Dave Garshelis Co-Chair IUCN SSC Bear Specialist Group Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Grand Rapids, MN 55744, USA Email: [email protected]

Imagine doctors treating patients using their own best guesses as to which treatments worked and which did not (or even which made patients worse). Imagine if medical treatments lacked any evaluation using real data. That sort of medical practice has now been largely replaced by evidence-based medicine, which relies on accumulated empirical data, not individual experiences of doctors. The evolving field of evidence-based conservation (Sutherland et al. 2004) aspires to be like evidence-based medicine. Conservationists are akin to doctors in trying to aid sick wild systems. But unlike medicine, there are rarely treatments and controls in conservation trials. Indeed, there are often no true diagnoses of the severity of the problem, or measures of whether healing was successful after an intervention. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is currently the best measure of extinction risk among all the species of the world. Among the 8 species of bears, 6 are considered threatened on a global scale, and another (brown bear, Ursus arctos) has many threatened populations, based on Red List criteria. General threats are reasonably well-known (e.g., excessive human-caused mortality, loss of habitat, small population size), but scant information exists about population sizes and rates of change for threatened bear populations. In other words, limited data exists from which to identify those populations most in need of conservation actions, and from which to measure the response after implementation of an action designed to reverse or lessen a decline. Bear conservation is thus often akin to doctors treating patients based on anecdotal experiences. But it’s even worse: at least many patients can self-identify as feeling sick. Among the many bear populations around the world, we can scarcely distinguish the truly sick ones. Our knowledge of populations is now reasonably good in North America and Europe, but still quite poor in South America and Asia, which of course is where populations are most threatened. Assessment of these populations is mostly based on “expert opinion”. A recent study in a biosphere reserve in northwestern Iran showed that opinions of local rangers (albeit not “bear experts”) greatly exaggerated the abundance of brown bears compared to a genetic-based estimate (Moqanaki et al. 2018). In part, these results may have been due to the bears being relatively common, and the rangers perceiving them to be even more common because they saw them frequently, and they dealt with many human–bear conflicts. Another rigorous population estimate on the Armenian side of this same population (which stretches from Iran to Armenia in the Lesser Caucasus), based on genetic sampling and camera trapping, revealed an equally high density, despite a long history of hunting and habitat loss (Burton et al. 2018). Conversely, outside bear experts who evaluated this population for the brown bear population-level Red-listing (before publication of these 2 studies) considered it Endangered, due to its isolation and small population size. Some might argue that the above example is merely a situation where the local rangers and bear experts were wrong, but evidence of bear population status is clearer in regions with more obvious threats, notably the tropics. Forest loss has been extreme in the tropics, and with that information some bear biologists have used models to project massive declines of bear populations. In some cases, on the ground surveys have revealed the absence or near absence of bear sign in some areas. But there are also examples of just the opposite, where bears were observed in unexpected places. Instead of cherry-picking examples, it is more useful to examine a conglomerate of case studies to discern general patterns — this is what evidence-based conservation attempts to do. Beaudrot et al. (2016) did just that, collecting occupancy trend data from camera-trapping for over 500 populations of birds and mammals in 15 protected areas within tropical forests on 3 continents (including 3 sites inhabited by sun bears, Helarctos malayanus). What they found was contrary to the conventional wisdom (surmised from habitat changes) that forest-dependent tropical species should be declining dramati- cally: the number of mammalian populations actually experiencing declines in occupancy was about equal to the number that showed increases and also equal to the number that remained unchanged. Moreover, occupancy trends were unre- lated to body mass or Red List status. A key point of their highly-analytical and thorough study was that such studies are needed to gain a true understanding of what is going on. We know less than we thought we did about how these species respond to identified threats, and assumptions and model projections often may be wrong. Indeed, there seems to be an inherent bias among those who are most concerned about the well-being of the world’s wild animals, logically erring on the gloomy side, and this view may lead to a publication bias, which means that even meta- analyses of published works may be biased. However, the scientific world is quickly moving toward creating vast archives

6 International Bear News Fall 2019, vol. 28 no. 3 IUCN BSG Co-Chairs of retrievable “big data” (e.g., camera trapping records), so analyses may not be reliant on the interpretations of individual authors. On the other hand, such meta-analyses may lead to grossly erroneous results if the investigators are so detached from the situation on the ground that they fail to recognize some basic aspects of the species (e.g., Wolf and Ripple [2018] unknowingly promoting “rewilding” of bears in places where they have never been). Bear conservation needs to move forward using both accumulated data and wisdom to develop “best practices” — the hallmark of the evidenced- based approach. But, given D. Garshelis D. the complexity of the systems (both wild and human/cul- Accounts from local people may inform “expert opinion”, and represent the primary basis of knowledge of bear populations in remote areas. Here, Nishith Dharaiya (left, Co-chair Sloth tural) in which we work, there Bear Expert Team), tries to learn from locals, who have a hard time distinguishing bear species, is also a need for an “adaptive- which of 3 species inhabit (or previously inhabited) a national park in Meghalaya, India. management” framework, where adjustments can be made on a local level-based on the actual results observed there. Melding evidence-based and adaptive-management approaches is one solution (Gillson et al. 2019); but importantly, both require reliable measurements of the response in the target population, which remains a weak link in applying these approaches to bear conservation. Equally difficult, and thus commonly neglected, is anticipating and measuring human responses to conservation interventions and the potential growth of the wild population (Adams et al. 2019). There is always room for individual experiential judgements, in both conservation and medicine. Nobody is arguing for a wholly mechanistic system. But likewise, few would argue for returning to the days when doctors made decisions largely on their own experiences.

Literature Cited Adams, V. M, M. Barnes, and R. L. Pressey. 2019. Shortfalls in conservation evidence: moving from ecological effects of interventions to policy evaluation. One Earth 1: 62–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2019.08.017 Burton, A. C., J. T. Fisher, P. Adriaens, J. Treweek, D. Paetkau, M. Wikstrom, A. Callender, R. Vardanyan, and A. Stepanyan. 2018. Density and distribution of a brown bear (Ursus arctos) population within the Caucasus biodiversity hotspot. Journal of Mammalogy 99: 1249–1260. Gillson, L., H. Biggs, I. P.J. Smit, M. Virah-Sawmy, and K. Rogers. 2019. Finding common ground between adaptive management and evidence-based approaches to biodiversity conservation. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 34: 31–44. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169534718302489 Moqanaki, E. M., J. Jiménez, S. Bensch, and J. V. López-Bao. 2018. Counting bears in the Iranian Caucasus: Remarkable mismatch between scientifically-sound population estimates and perceptions. Biological Conservation 220: 182–191. Sutherland, W. J., A. S. Pullin, P. M. Dolman, and T. M. Knight. 2004. The need for evidence-based conservation. Biological Conservation 19: 305–308. Wolf, C., and W. J. Ripple. 2018. Rewilding the world’s large carnivores. Royal Society Open Science 5: 172235. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.172235

International Bear News Fall 2019 vol. 28 no. 3 7 IBA Member News Transition News

Alexander Kopatz Agnieszka Sergiel Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) Institute of Nature Conservation of Polish Academy of Trondheim, Norway Sciences, Krakow, Poland IBA Secretary, Co-chair of Communications team IBA Council Member, Co-chair of Communications team Email: [email protected] Member: European Brown Bear Expert Team, IUCN Bear Specialist Group Email: [email protected]

The road travelled through by now Dear IBA Members, Here we are again with the portion of the information on the transition. To summarize the process for this year’s last IBN, we present you updates on the current process and was have prepared the timeline of what has happened so far. More information: www.bearbiology.org/structural-plan-summary-now-available/

Detailed Timeline of Transition Process Since 2014 2014 Thessaloniki Conference, October: Council meeting - Need for strategic planning recognized and strategic planning committee formed (summary in President’s column, IBN Fall 2014) 2015 Summer: Conducted online member survey for purpose of strategic planning (summary in President’s column, IBN Summer 2015) 2016 Anchorage Conference, June: (1) Results of member survey summarized and discussed at Anchorage Council meeting and how they would be used to guide and inform decisions about IBA in the future, and (2) presented in 30-minute presentation during opening session of conference (President’s Column, IBN Fall 2017 and Spring and Summer 2019). November 2016: Offer from Oliver Wyman to help with strategic planning – offered and accepted by Council (unanimous), contingent upon them finding a small team of people at the firm willing to take on this pro-bono project. 2017 August: Pro bono team assembled at Oliver Wyman and approached IBA again. In September the team started interviewing ~30 key active IBA members, including Council members and officers, IBN editor, Ursus editor, BSG chairs, two most recent past presidents, and others (summary in President’s column, IBN Fall 2017) November: At Ecuador IBA conference, Oliver Wyman team led a 3-hour round-table discussion with all previously interviewed ~20 IBA members and ~10 key people from other organizations, presenting their initial findings, gathering responses from the roundtable, fielding questions, presenting an initial plan. December: In response to the roundtable, Oliver Wyman team modified the plan and presented their final plan to Council (summary in President’s column, IBN Spring 2018) 2018 January-February: IBA secured a $100,000 foundation grant specifically to help fund transition costs, including salaries (summary in President’s column, IBN Summer 2018) March: Put together committees to start the groundwork for fully understanding the plan, making sure it is consistent with IBA goals, modifying the plan as needed - “making it ours” – and charting a course towards implementing (summary in President’s column, IBN Summer 2018) Ljubljana Conference, September: Held extra 1-day facilitated planning workshop before the conference. The professional facilitator was pro-bono, with travel and lodging provided by transition grant, participants included all council members and a number of the others involved in key IBA functions. During the workshop, participants outlined a financial plan and basis for the structural plan and communications plan. Working committees were formed to carry out these plans. Reported to members at the general membership meeting during the conference. There was extensive discussion of plans for moving forward and lots of questions asked (summary in President’s column IBN Fall 2018) Winter: Council voted (unanimous) to hire Director of Transition, Jennapher Teunissen van Manen to coordinate all communications and record-keeping, and Alexander Kopatz (former Eurasian VP) was appointed as Secretary by Council per the bylaws (summary in President’s column, IBN Spring 2019) 2019 January: Structural Committee presented its final “Structural Plan” worked on by all of Council and Council accepted this (unanimous) as the working blueprint for change. February: Secured $80,000 grant from an anonymous private foundation for transition costs, including salaries. March: The communications team sends its first communication email to members, regarding Council business and transition progress. This is now a regular update; the 4 communications to date were sent March 13, May 1, May 31, and July 18 Spring 2019 IBN: The communications team provided its first regular column on transition update for this IBN. Summer 2019 IBN: the second column devoted to transition, plus more on the transition and a revisit of the 2015 membership survey results in the President’s column.

8 International Bear News Fall 2019, vol. 28 no. 3 IBA Member News Summary Timeline of Transition Since 2014:

Recap In 2014 at the Council meeting in Thessaloniki Greece, as a result of the continued growth and unsustainable workload on IBA’s all-volunteer Council, Committees, and IBN staff, a committee was formed to develop a strategic plan. The Com- mittee (Karen Noyce, Gordon Stenhouse, Andreas Zedrosser, Tabitha Graves and Emre Can) determined that a survey was needed to understand what you as a member wanted from IBA. In 2015, you were asked to provide input and guidance for IBA going into the future. The message from that survey was clear: IBA members value the organization, especially its conferences, publications, its grants programs, and its collegial almost family-like culture. They want to preserve those, but responses clearly expressed a demand to increase IBA’s impact in the world and its ability to support its members’ work also in the future. However, the question remained, how to meet the demands with an already overloaded all-volunteer Council and Committees. Following your thoughts and wishes expressed in the survey, IBA was fortunate to be offered pro-bono services of the world-renowned management consulting firm, Oliver Wyman. The Oliver Wyman team put in hours of work learning about IBA and developing a solid plan for IBA to move forward with growth while maintaining the core values of a professional scientific organization. This became known as the transition process and its purpose is to increase our ability to deliver on our core goal: conservation and restoration of the world’s bears through science-based research, management, and education. The vision will result in an organization with a significantly larger annual budget supported by public donations and not limited to revenues from memberships and publications. The core of our organization will always be a Council elected by you, the IBA membership. The essence of IBA, i.e., the close contact and communication among its members, the conferences, IBN and Ursus, will remain the same and continue to be what makes IBA unique. The transition essentially entails administrative changes that will allow IBA to break out of the severe time and resource constraints of having an all-volunteer administration and will enable IBA to better fulfill its service to members and its programs that support and improve science, management, and conservation of bears. You, the members, are still going to influence the direction of IBA by a) electing, through free and open elections fellow members to be Officers and Councilors and choosing those they believe will act in the best interests of the organization; b) keeping themselves and yourself informed of goings-on in the organization by reading Council’s emails and IBN; c) participating in membership meetings, and, d) raising any concerns to Council.

What is next? Now that the foundation has been laid for the structural evolution of IBA, for IBA to provide more services and programs to members, we have entered the phase of going from non-profit professional organization that is run and administered entirely by a volunteer-elected Council to a non-profit professional organization that employs an Executive Director and Director of Transition. And, as funding allows, ideally a few additional employees. We have hired a Director of Transition, and an Executive Director is planned to have been hired by the time of this publication. Funds for hiring these positions were obtained from an anonymous special grant dedicated to the specific purpose of these 2 positions to carry out the transition. With the support of the Executive Director and Director of Transition, IBA Council and committees will continue to work on the organizational structure, strategic planning, finances, fundraising, and communications, aiming to increase IBA’s ability to execute its mission. By hiring a dedicated staff and an Executive Director that is experienced in fund-raising, we will be able to increase the capacity of science-based programs in bear management, expand conservation impact worldwide, as well as to explore new and better ways to serve IBA’s professional members and enhance opportunities for professional development. An important part of the future organizational structure will be a strategic plan on how IBA plans to distribute funding for management and conservation activities and projects on a global scale. Different parts of the world have different needs for bear conservation and management. In common, is the need to exchange ideas and experiences with colleagues, to receive additional training, as well as opportunities to apply for funding to better understand or solve their specific management and conservation challenges. It is the goal of IBA to better address needs and concerns for science-based bear management and conservation in all parts of the world. Therefore, we are working on plans that address needs and concerns on a geographic basis, and access to increased funding opportunities for all IBA members. And we will continue to provide you with all the information every step of the way.

International Bear News Fall 2019 vol. 28 no. 3 9 IBA Member News 2019 IBA Election Information

The 2019 IBA election officially closed on 15 December 2019. All candidate statements are included in this issue for historical reference. The following candidates were elected by the IBA membership to serve on the next Council term from 10 January 2020 to 09 January 2023: President: John Hechtel, Vice President of the Americas: Karyn Rode, Treasurer: Jennifer Fortin-Noreus, Councilors: Anne Hertel and Karine Pigeon. Welcome new Council members and thank you to all candidates for being willing to run and serve on Council!

President Candidate Statement: John Hechtel I was raised in Chicago, far from bear habitat and wild nature. But as a child I was fasci- nated by bears and pursued a career in wildlife management that’s lasted over 40 years. I received a Bachelor’s in Zoology, spent 2.5 years in the Peace Corps in Cameroon, then studied grizzlies in Alaska leading to an MS in Wildlife from University of Montana in 1985. I worked for Alaska Fish and Game for over 20 years and worked 2.5 years as bear biologist in Yukon Territory. I retired in 2008. In addition to agency work I’ve consulted, taught numerous bear safety and hazing/conflicts classes, guided bear viewing trips, and helped film bear documentaries. I joined IBA in 1978, served on Council some years back, and have attended 22 of 31 IBA conferences. I’ve seen IBA grow and evolve from a heavy North America focus to a truly international organization. I currently volunteer with IBA and other bear-related non-profits: I serve on Vital Ground and Safety in Bear Country Society Boards and am a member of the Bear Specialist Group’s Human-Bear Conflicts Expert Team. I’ve primarily worked on bear management, with emphases on conservation and education, human-bear conflicts, bear attacks and bear safety. For decades IBA, along with BSG, has been a leader in global science-based bear conservation. We have dedicated, passionate, professional members who network and share research, management approaches, and knowledge at conferences and through our publications. Our membership is diverse with various backgrounds, interests, values, and points-of-view. We won’t always agree, but it’s important to try to understand and respectfully engage with each other. Many people in the world don’t care about bears or are anti-bear. We who do value bears must communicate and cooperate as much as possible, and IBA facilitates this. Our organization is a great mix of old-timers with valuable long-term perspectives, and younger professionals and students who bring fresh ideas, techniques and insights to our ranks. And the camaraderie and long-term friendships that so often develop among IBA colleagues are a fun, rewarding bonus. We can be proud of what we’ve accomplished over the years. In spite of how busy our members lives are, their willingness to devote “spare” time to IBA has been remarkable. Most of us don’t realize how large the Council’s and officers’ workloads have become. We’re at our limits as an all-volunteer group even as the conservation needs of bears continue to grow. Hence the planned transition that’s been discussed for the last few years. IBA is now in the process of hiring an Executive Director who will help manage the organization as well as concentrate on fundraising. This is a great opportunity to try to grow IBA and our grants program, sustain a small paid staff, and relieve some of the volunteer workload while safeguarding the quali- ties that make IBA exceptional. It should increase our effectiveness, without compromising our approach. If elected, I’d be honored to serve as your President during this exciting phase.

President Candidate Statement: Chris Servheen I have been an IBA member since the mid-70s, and have organized or co-organized 2 IBA conferences, a human/bear co-existence conference, and have served on Council. I retired after 35 years as the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator where I oversaw recovery efforts by working with multiple scientists, managers, ENGOs, and government officials. I was co-chair of the IUCN Bear Specialist Group for 12 years where I worked with bear biologists across the world. I conducted pioneering investigations on illegal bear trade across Asia. I supervised the writing of the IUCN global Bear Status Survey and Conser- vation Action Plan and authored the IBA Monograph “Status and Conservation of the Bears of the World”. I authored or co-authored >85 peer-reviewed papers, monographs, book chapters, and conference proceedings and was lead author on the chapter “Bear Conserva- tion and Management” for the book “Bears of the World” (Cambridge Univ. Press 2020). Initially, I did not choose to run again for IBA president. However, a group of IBA members who I respect and have worked with for decades lobbied me to run for 2 reasons. First, they

10 International Bear News Fall 2019, vol. 28 no. 3 IBA Member News

insisted that IBA members have a choice from at least 2 people when selecting the important position of president because organizations are more vital when there 2 or more candidates for office. Second, they told me that, because of my management skills and knowledge of global issues, I would be a good president. A candidate statement is a chance for voters to be introduced to a candidate. A person is known by the company he/she keeps, so understanding what people you may know believe about a candidate can be informative for voters. Because: 1) these people have confidence in what kind of IBA president I would be; and 2) they urged me to run, I thank past presidents: Steve Herrero, Bruce McLellan, and Sterling Miller; past or present IBA Council members Andy Derocher, Tsutomu Mano, and Michael Proctor; BSG co-chair Dave Garshelis; Chair, IUCN Large Carnivore Initiative in Europe Luigi Boitani; and Washington State University Professor Charles Robbins. As IBA president I will work to solve the complex issues of an expanding organization using an inclusive, team approach. I will assure that the new directions of the IBA are implemented in harmony with the needs of an informed membership and in accordance with the IBA mission as the professional society of bear biologists worldwide. I am committed to enhancing the IBA’s core roles: 1) hosting regular international conferences; 2) publication of our peer-reviewed journal; 3) production of a regular newsletter; and 4) supporting grants to enhance worldwide bear conservation. As IBA president, I will maintain and enhance IBA’s close collaboration with both the Bear Specialist Group and the Polar Bear Specialist Group, and through them with the IUCN. I am committed to maintaining and building upon the successful IBA vision that has served us and bears so well for more than 4 decades. Webpage: https://www.cfc.umt.edu/personnel/details.php?ID=1153

Vice President, Americas Candidate Statement: Mark Edwards My passion for bears took root during my PhD at the University of Alberta studying grizzly bears in Canada’s Arctic. Today, I am Curator of Mammals at the Royal Alberta Museum and Adjunct Professor at the University of Alberta. I do applied research focused on species’ spatial and temporal distribution, resource use, behavior and interactions. My research has branched into other taxa, but my passion still lies with bears. I joined the IBA in 2003 and since 2012 I have become increasingly involved. I am currently the Managing Editor of International Bear News, the Co-Editor of the IBA Species Accounts, and was invited to support the IBA Transition team in the early development stages. In all of these roles, I have had the pleasure of seeing the contributions our members make globally. Through my own work, I am also aware of the ecological, conservation and management issues facing bears locally. I believe the balance of these perspectives, provide me with a very grounded understanding of the complex conservation and management topics facing our membership and enable me to contribute to a strong future for IBA. The IBA is poised to embark on a new chapter where we will increase our global leadership in the science-based management and conservation of bears. This new chapter will also see IBA enhance its ability to offer more resources, networking, and capacity building for members working in areas where bear conservation is in need of major and immediate action as well as in North America where the needs may be different but no less urgent. I am committed to seeing that reality. The membership is at the heart of the IBA and I hope to continue to serve in this new role as Vice-President (Americas).

Vice President, Americas Candidate Statement: Karyn Rode Over the past 20 years I have worked with research and management agencies to identify and address information needs about bears and their habitats. I have held positions with both state and federal agencies and universities and am currently a research wildlife biologist at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Alaska Science Center. My studies of bears and other large mammals have taken me to polar, temperate, and tropical regions and resulted in over 50 published journal articles. In 2007, I attended my first IBA conference and have been a regular participant since, including organizing symposiums and leading sessions. Currently, I serve on the IBA Grants committee. Though my current work focuses largely on studies of northern bear species, through international work I am familiar with the diversity of situa- tions in which our members work to study and conserve bears. I have a great appreciation for the work being done by IBA scientists around the world.

International Bear News Fall 2019 vol. 28 no. 3 11 IBA Member News Tresasurer Candidate Statement: Jennifer Fortin-Noreus I was raised in the Pacific Northwest enjoying hiking, camping and watching wildlife, and have had the pleasure of continuing those activities throughout my life, especially since set- tling in Montana in 2015. My experience with bears began in graduate school with Dr. Charlie Robbins and enjoyed the work so much that I completed both my MSc and Ph.D. at Washing- ton State University. WSU’s Bear Research, Education and Conservation Center allowed me to combine captive and field research in my studies on the nutritional ecology of grizzly and black bears. I have been fortunate to research dietary selection and habitat use by grizzly and black bears in Alaska and in Yellowstone National Park. After graduate school, I was able to research the impacts of human recreational activities on polar and brown bears with the USGS Alaska Science Center. Since 2015, I have been a wildlife biologist for the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Grizzly Bear Recovery Program where I have expanded my knowledge of policy, management, and the Endangered Species Act. I have appreciated the rich experience that the IBA conferences have provided me, where I have made life-long friends and enjoyed the opportunity to learn and share knowledge about bears. It has been a pleasure to give back to IBA and make more connections with IBA members in my position as treasurer since January 2017. I strive to continue to increase the transparency of IBA’s financial situation and assist IBA in its transition to a more impactful organization. Councillor Candidate Statement: Anne G. Hertel I am a Marie Curie fellow and joint postdoc with the movement ecology lab at Sencken- berg in Frankfurt (Germany) and the Scandinavian brown bear research project. My research uses movement data and diet composition from stable isotope ratios in bear hair to study individual variation (and specialization) in behavior and how this affects bear histories. My current work is focusing on Scandinavian bears, but I am ultimately interested in extending my research across populations to better understand environmental and anthropogenic drivers of individual specialization. I first started working with bears during my PhD, for which I studied spatio-temporal variation in autumn food abundance and its effects on bear behavior and life history traits. I have been a member of IBA since 2014, when I attended my first IBA conference in Thessaloniki. Since then I have attended many other conferences but honestly, the bear conference is always my personal bi-annual highlight. Last year I had the pleasure to host a workshop on individual behavioral variation at the conference in Ljubljana and it was a great experience and sounding board. If elected to serve on Council, I am looking forward to support IBA during the transition process as best as I can. For this, I am especially interested in promoting the involvement of young scientists and improving the information flow from IBA to the public, and if possible connecting the two. Hope to see many of you in Montana next year. Webpage: http://www.bik-f.de/root/index.php?page_id=1168 Councillor Candidate Statement: Karine Pigeon I have always been an avid outdoor adventure enthusiast. My passion for bear research and management grew in the early 2000’s when I became a technician on the first DNA- based estimate of grizzly bears in Alberta, Canada. I attended my first IBA conference in 2007 and started an MSc on grizzly bear denning that same year. My PhD investigated the influence of environmental factors on grizzly bear behaviour in a broader context. I have published all of my completed research; all of it is data-driven, and many of my papers have strong implications for conservation. In recent years, my research and passion has extend- ed to the conservation of tropical Asian bears. During the last 2 years, I conducted lengthy field seasons in Nepal and India on projects funded by IBA, in collaboration with the IUCN Bear Specialist Group. I am an invited participant of an upcoming BSG workshop to develop guidelines for monitoring Asian bears. I was invited to coauthor chapters on Sloth Bears, Asiatic Black Bears, and North American Brown Bears for the book “Bears of the World” (Cambridge University Press). I have presented my research at 7 IBA conferences, chaired sessions, and wrote the Brown Bear Information Pages for the IBA website. I’m ready to dedicate myself more fully to the IBA, an association that I deeply value. As a BSG member, I will work to ensure collaboration and communication between IBA and BSG. I’m a strong proponent of inclusion, collaboration, and equity – I welcome cultural diversity and I am sensitive to our implicit biases. I believe that engaging members and organizations from a wide-range of backgrounds is needed to find successful pathways for long-term coexistence of humans and bears worldwide. Website: www.karinepigeon.ca

12 International Bear News Fall 2019, vol. 28 no. 3 IBA Member News Councillor Candidate Statement: Lorraine Scotson I began researching bears in Southeast Asia by a stroke of fate in 2005, as a volunteer for a “Free the Bears” sanctuary. I was looking for a home and a useful focus – both of which I found. Since then, I have researched aspects of bear re-introduction, human-bear conflict, illegal trade, and population monitoring, and completed my PhD at the University of Minnesota. I am now a Field Coordinator for the IUCN Saola Working Group in Lao and Vietnam. Albeit distracted temporarily by the mystical ‘Asian Unicorn’, my heart remains firmly with bears. Recent publications include a review of bear farming in Lao, and explorations of data-driven methods to monitor populations. I also led the 2017 IUCN Red List Sun bear re-assessment. I have a lot to thank the IBA for. I became involved in 2009, presenting at the Asiatic black bear symposium in Taiwan, and at all major IBA conferences since. I have received numerous IBA grants, for research, experience-exchange, and conference travel. Moreover, I have received limitless support, encouragement and inspiration from the IBA’s vast network of biologists. I will be a life-long champion for the IBA, for what it does for the great big world of bear research and management, and for what it does for my own little world. I am committed to IBA’s mission, and its current transition phase is an exciting one. If elected, I look forward to an active role in the IBA’s growth and development and I will support others in the IBA as I have been supported. Webpage: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lorraine_Scotson

Councillor Candidate Statement: Sandeep Sharma I am a conservation biologist by training, and work as a research scientist at the Göttingen University in Germany. I was also in IUCN-BSG sloth bear expert team (2013-2016). I have over 20 years of multi-disciplinary research experience working on large carnivores including tiger, snow leopard, leopard, sloth bear, Himalayan brown bear, Tibetan wolf, and Eurasian lynx in various ecosystems in South Asia, ranging from Himalayan cold desert and alpine region to dry-deciduous sub-tropical forest and more recently in mangrove swamps. I have been involved in bear research for over a decade now. IBA has been the motivation and source of financial support that enabled me to not only initiate but continue and expand my work on Asian bears. IBA has supported me in carrying out the first study on population genetics of sloth bears where we established the functionality of corridors in maintaining gene flow and meta-population persistence of sloth bear populations in central India. More recently IBA funding allowed me to continue sloth bear research, and also enabled me to initiate a new study on the Himalayan brown bears. I have attended two international IBA conferences so far, which were like homecoming events for me. I felt part of a truly passionate community that welcomed new ideas and encouraged collaborations along with demonstrating the value of science as the key component of conservation. I am excited to offer my time to be involved in a more active capacity to support IBAs mission of bear conservation worldwide. More specifically, I would like to be a voice for Asian species of bears which are all inadequately understood. I also intend to promote and facilitate collaboration for science-based conservation of Asian bears in my role as councillor.

Councillor Candidate Statement: Dave Telesco I have over 20 years of experience with American black bears. I have been the Black Bear Management Program Coordinator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commis- sion since 2008, focusing on mitigating human-bear conflicts with growing human and bear populations. I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry and Wildlife Resources from Virginia Tech in 1996, then worked on wildlife projects across North America for 4 years before starting graduate school at the University of Tennessee. I earned my Master of Science degree in Wildlife Science in 2003 researching black bear habitat use and population abundance. After graduation, I worked for 5 years for the Black Bear Conservation Coalition, a non-profit organization who assisted with the recovery of the Louisiana black bear, a Federally-Threat- ened subspecies at that time. I have served on the Large Carnivore Working Group of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies since 2009. I joined the IBA in 2001 and have served on the IBA’s Management Committee since 2012. I want to serve on the IBA Council because I believe I can help the IBA bring bear managers and researchers together.

International Bear News Fall 2019 vol. 28 no. 3 13 IBA Member News Regardless of how or where we work, we are all striving to make sure bears have a place in society. I feel I can assist the IBA during this transition period so that we can continue to be the professional organization that leads the way in how to learn about, conserve, and manage the world’s bear species.

Councillor Candidate Statement: Konstantin Tirronen In 2004, I graduated from the Faculty of Biology of Petrozavodsk State University and entered the postgraduate course of the Institute of Biology of the Karelian Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. My Ph.D. thesis was devoted to large carnivores mammals (brown bear, wolf, lynx, and wolverine) inhabiting the North-West of Russia. Further, my work was somehow connected with the study of various groups of mammals from bats to ungulates, but a favorite subject of my research was and still is the brown bear. It was exactly the study of ecology, population genetics, and conservation of bears that made it possible to establish close cooperation with colleagues from European countries. Large cross-border bear populations closely link researchers around the World. Russia is home to 3 species of bears, with the largest population of brown bears in the World. There are many “white spots” - unexplored issues that require our close attention. Issues of study, population management and conservation of these predators, are very acute. But no less important is the issue of cooperation of wildlife researchers and conversationalists over the world in these issues and it is the opportunity to contribute to the unification of efforts that I see as my main task. Just as bears know no borders among countries, likewise we should not feel restricted to contact each other and collaborate. Webpage: http://ib.krc.karelia.ru/member.php?plang=e&id=662

Councillor Candidate Statement: Odbayar Tumendemberel I grew up in a small town in western Mongolia and following high school began pursuing my passion to become a wildlife biologist. I attended the National University of Mongolia where I received my bachelor in 2007 and master degree in 2013. From 2007-2016 I worked at the Institute of Biology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences where I was involved in projects including phylogenetics of wild boars, Korean field mouse and red squirrels in Mongolia, individual identification of snow leopards in Spiti Valley, India, and population genetics of argali sheep in Mongolia. Starting in 2007, I also became involved in the Gobi Bear Project and much of my work since then has focused on Gobi bear research and conservation. Cur- rently, I am completing my PhD at the University of South-Eastern Norway. My PhD focuses on ecological genetics, taxonomy, and population size and trends of Gobi bears. During my Masters work on snow leopards, involvement on the Gobi bear project, and PhD I have received many great opportunities to meet and work with international collabo- rators. Many of these opportunities have been fostered through connections made through IBA. I have been an active member of IBA since 2013 and enjoyed meeting and learning from bear biologists from around the world. As a council member, I would like to help research and conservation initiatives as well as foster connections between researchers (and learning/young researchers). Specifically, I feel collaborative efforts will help to produce sound scientific information for conservation of poorly understood and imperiled populations.

14 International Bear News Fall 2019, vol. 28 no. 3 Conservation New Hope 140 Years after Extirpation of Brown Bears in Białowieża Forest, Poland–Belarus Nuria Selva Member: European Brown Bear Expert Team, IUCN SSC Bear Specialist Group Institute of Nature Conservation Polish Academy of Sciences Email: [email protected]

Brown bears (Ursus arctos) were extirpated in the Białowieża Forest (nowadays straddling eastern Poland and western Belarus) at the end of the 19th century. The last resident bear was killed in 1879 —140 years ago. In 1937, the decision was made to reintroduce bears in Białowieża Forest for conservation purposes. It represented the first reintroduction program of a large carnivore in the world (Samojlik et al. 2018). That winter, the bear “Lola” gave birth to 2 cubs in a special cage placed in Białowieża National Park, in the heart of the forest. These cubs were allowed to gradually go into the wild by themselves, without contact with humans. Both managed to survive. At that time, the restocking via the release of captive animals was the only option (now, wild animals are captured and translocated to the area of reintroduction). At the end of 1939, when Soviet troops occupied Białowieża Forest, Lola was freed from her cage, and other captive bears were also released. The outbreak of World War II spoiled what might have been a successful reintroduction project. Reproduction in the wild (records of young animals or family groups) was documented for 8 years and bear presence for 13 (Samojlik et al. 2018). Since 1950, bears have been recorded occasionally in Białowieża Forest, which since World War II is shared between Poland and Belarus. In 1963, bear tracks were observed in the Belarusian area (Buchalczyk 1980) and in 2003 a bear was observed in the “Wild Swamp” area in Belarus. In June 2010, a hunter reportedly saw a bear in the Polish side of the Forest. For that reason, the management plan for the brown bear in Poland, still not implemented, recommended to include the Podlasie region in the monitoring program (Selva et al. 2011). This spring 2019, a bear and its signs have been observed on repeated occasions on both sides of the border. In the beginning of June the bear and its tracks were observed in the Belarusian side, and in mid-June presumably the same animal was seen and camera trapped in the Polish side, still very close to the border. His signs were observed back in the Belarusian part of Białowieża Forest a few days later and then never again. In 2005, an estimated 80 - 100 bears resided in Belarus, with their range restricted to the northern and east-central parts of the country (Sidorovich 2006). Recently, bears seem to have recolonized Naliboki Forest, west of Minsk (capital and largest city in Belarus). Since 2011 they have become residents in this area and their numbers seem to be increasing (www.sidorovich.blog). This forest is about 170 km from Białowieża For- est, so it is not unexpected that occasional bears would make this trek, and eventually some should remain, as Białowieża Forest offers very good habitat for bears (Fernández et al. 2012). In 2012, an attempt to reintroduce bears in the Belarusian

side of the Białowieża Forest Jan Jerzy collection Karpiński Park National the Białowieża from was abandoned. This was a Cage placed in Białowieża National Park with the bear “Lola” for the soft release of her cubs in 1937. sensible decision, as bears This was the first reintroduction project of a large carnivore in the world motivated for conservation purposes.

International Bear News Fall 2019 vol. 28 no. 3 15 Conservation have shown they can naturally come back. It is not strange that large carnivores would suddenly appear in places where they have been absent for years. They can travel long distances, even in heavily humanized landscapes (Bartón et al. 2019). For example, the bear “Iwo” (5-year old male) moved from Tatra Mountains in Poland to the Gorgany Mountains in Ukraine, crossing Slovakia twice and visiting Hungary. He traveled more than 3,500 km, crossing roads and other barriers, during the 2-year period of GPS tracking. The farthest distance between 2 locations in his trip was 360 km. Unfortunately, long-distance dispersers have a high likelihood of being killed before they can reproduce and genetically “connect” different populations or start new ones (Bartón et al. 2019). Bears are recolonizing areas where they used to be present decades or centuries ago all across Europe (Chapron et al. 2014). This year has been particularly rich in such records. For the first time since 1843, Portuguese authorities have confirmed the presence of a bear (www.wilder.pt). A dispersing bear was observed in spring for a week in Montesinho Natural Park, northeastern Portugal, probably coming from the Cantabrian Mountains. In the Czech Republic, a female bear is still wandering around the Beskydy Mountains since she arrived in autumn 2018, probably from occupied bear range in the western Carpathians (www.carpathianbear.pl). This spring, collaborating Czech and Polish bear teams attached a GPS collar to her. Such events are excellent opportunities to foster transboundary cooperation. Due to the high conservation value of long-distance dispersers, measures to avoid accidental shooting in recolonization areas could be taken (e.g., banning hunting temporarily), as was done in Hungary when “Iwo” was passing through there. The bears appearing in northeast Poland, Portugal, and the Czech Republic have all caused damage to unprotected bee- hives. A prompt reaction from authorities is vital to mitigate conflicts; damage should be quickly compensated and people should get support to protect their apiaries. People not used to coexisting with bears should be informed about how to behave during encounters. It is important to keep calm, follow basic rules and never feed bears (www.carpathianbear. pl). Arrivals of dispersing individuals should be a sign for responsible institutions to take the appropriate steps for proper management of waste and to start implementing methods of damage prevention. If the bear population in Belarus keeps increasing, and the connectivity of the landscape is not worsened by road and infrastructure expansion, bears should hopefully settle in Białowieża Forest. This will be very good news for the ecosystem that will see restored functions and interactions. For the bears, which now mostly inhabit mountain refuges away from human settlements, this would allow use of a lowland area. And for humans, this is a good opportunity to learn how to share the landscape with bears and enjoy them. Białowieża Forest has been an historic reference in conservation, and could be an example to follow in this respect as well.

Literature Cited Bartoń, K.A., T. Zwijacz-Kozica, F. Zięba, A. Sergiel and N. Selva. 2019. Bears without borders: long-distance movement in human-dominated landscapes. Global Ecology and Conservation 17: e00541. Buchalczyk, T. 1980. The brown bear in Poland. International Conference on Bear Research and Management 4: 229-232. Chapron, G. et al. 2014. Recovery of large carnivores in Europe’s modern human-dominated landscapes. Science 346: 1517-1519. Fernández, N., N. Selva, C. Yuste, H. Okarma and Z. Jakubiec. 2012. Brown bears at the edge: modeling habitat constraints at the periphery of the Carpathian population. Biological Conservation 153: 134-142. Samojlik, T., N. Selva, P. Daszkiewicz, A. Fedotova, A. Wajrak and D.P.J. Kuijper. 2018. Lessons from Białowieża Forest on the history of protection and the world’s first reintroduction of a large carnivore. Conservation Biology 32: 808-816. Selva, N., T. Zwijacz Kozica, A. Sergiel, A. Olszańska and F. Zięba. 2011. Management plan for the brown bear Ursus arctos in Poland-draft. Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland. [in Polish with an English version] Sidorovich, V. 2006. Ecological studies on brown bear (Ursus arctos) in Belarus: distribution, population trends and dietary structure. Acta Zoologica Lituanica 16 (3): 185-190. https://carpathianbear.pl/en/brown-bear/encounters-with-bears/.Carpathian Brown Bear Project website [Accessed 17.08.2019] https://carpathianbear.pl/en/2019/female-bear-reaches-czech-republic/. Carpathian Brown Bear Project website [Ac- cessed 17.08.2019] https://sidorovich.blog/2018/10/07/story-of-the-brown-bear-in-naliboki-forest-and-the- peculiarity-of-the-on-going-recolonizing-of-the-terrain-by-the-species/. Blog “Zoology by Vadim Sidorovich” [Accessed 17.08.2019] https://www.wilder.pt/english/brown-bear-returns-to-portugal-after-almost-200-years/. Wilder. Rewilding your days. [Accessed 17.08.2019]

16 International Bear News Fall 2019, vol. 28 no. 3 Conservation Kaiberen Wildlife Research and Conservation Project: Brown Bear Tracking in the Kyrgyz Republic

Maksatbek Anarbaev Joldoshbek Kyrbashev Institute of Geographical Sciences Naryn State Nature Reserve Centre for Development Studies Kyrgyz Republic Freie Universität Berlin, Malteserstr. 74-100, D-12249 Askar Davletbakov Berlin, Germany Biology Institute, National Academy of Sciences Email: [email protected] Kyrgyz Republic

Shigeyuki Izumiyama Almaz Musaev Institute of Mountain Science Department on Biodiversity Conservation and Protected Shinshu University Areas 8304 Minamiminowa, Kamiina-gun State Agency on Environmental Protection and Forestry Nagano,Japan under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic Email: [email protected]

The brown bear (Ursus arctos) is an iconic species. In the Central Asian region, brown bears occupy the Tien-Shan, Gissar-Alai, Zhungar Alatoo, Pamir and Pamir-Alai mountains. Its subspecies, the Tien-Shan brown bear (U. a. isabellinus) also known as Himalayan brown bear occurs in the Kyrgyz Republic. Because of loss of suitable habitat and poaching pressure by humans, brown bears have become progressively rare and nationally endangered. Currently, protected areas play an important role and function as a refuge for many red listed species, including brown bears. Prior to the establishment of the Naryn State Nature Reserve (Rus: zapovednik, Kyr: koruk) in 1983, studies (1977-1979) confirmed the presence of 6 bears in the territory of 90,000 ha. Based on our field work (2014-2018), we have estimated up to 15 bears within the reserve’s core zone, a 0.17 density, which correlates with an average population density (0.15 per 1000 ha) estimated by Aizin et al. (1985) in the 1980s. It is believed that the mountain territories of the Kyrgyz Republic are some of the most important natural habitats for brown bears of all the Central Asian countries (Anarbaev et al. 2019). Therefore, further research is necessary to contribute to better protection of their habitats. In this case, the use of satellite telemetry is very relevant. In order to study the seasonal movement of brown bears, their home range, activity and habitat use in the mountain landscapes of the Kyrgyz Republic, on 24 April, 2019, 1 adult male was fitted with a GPS collar. The brown bear called “Ilimbek” (Ilim means science in Kyrgyz language) was temporarily immobilized with a tranquilizer at an elevation of 2585 m.a.s.l. The research area is in the central-eastern part of the Kyrgyz Republic, within the administrative border of the Naryn Reserve.

The Naryn State Nature Reserve is the primary research site in the Kyrgyz Republic. © M. Anarbaev, 2019.

International Bear News Fall 2019 vol. 28 no. 3 17 Conservation

(left) Brown bear in the Naryn State Nature Reserve. © “Kaiberen” wildlife research and conservation program, 2019 (right) Bear Ilimbek is the first collared brown bear in the region. © J. Kyrbashev, 2019.

In the framework of our research, we will analyse seasonal movement patterns of bears and their diet. We hope that this research will contribute to better understanding of bear biology, need for conflict mitigation measures, awareness raising campaigns among local population as well as developing a national strategy and action plan for brown bear conservation.

Literature Cited Anarbaev et al. 2019. Distribution and conservation status of Tien-Shan brown bear in the Kyrgyz Republic. International Bear News. Summer 28 (2): 15-17. Aizin, B.M. et al. 1985. Tianshanskiy buryi medved’. Pages 19-21 in Red data book of Kirghiz SSR. Frunze. [In Russian.]

18 International Bear News Fall 2019, vol. 28 no. 3 Biological Research A Close Interaction Between a Brown Bear and a Wolf in the Central Apennines (Italy)

Massimo Pellegrini Vincenzo Penteriani Stazione Ornitologica Abruzzese (SOA), Italy IBA member, Ursus Associate Editor Email: [email protected] Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, CSIC-UO-PA), Spain Email: [email protected] Webpage: www.cantabrianbrownbear.org

The benefits of ‘play behavior’ are still not entirely understood. In some cases, because the role of play is not evident and may be performed at great cost to animals, play might be a side product of other beneficial processes that counteract the costs of play (Sarti Oliveira et al. 2010). For example, play may increase behavioral variability and help tune adaptive behavioral flexibility, and short-term neuromuscular, neuroendocrine, and immunological improvements may result from play, helping individuals that are still immature to counteract the effects of stress (Fagen and Fagen 2009). Moreover, the energetic cost of play is irrelevant if feeding is adequate or if it favors the development of other skills (Sarti Oliveira et al. 2010). For example, the social role of playing (i.e., play behavior among conspecifics) may be related to greater group cohe- sion (Sarti Oliveira et al. 2010). However, play behaviors are rarely observed between two different species and, especially, between different species of large carnivores that have potentially harmful weapons (teeth and claws). Here, we describe a 22-minute-long close interaction between a brown bear (Ursus arctos marsicanus) (probably a subadult, <4-year-old, female) and a wolf (Canis lupus )in the Natural Regional WWF Reserve “Gole del Sagittario” in the Central Apennines (Abruzzo Region, Italy), which occurred on the 3rd of April, 2016, around noon time. Both the bear and the wolf appeared almost at the same time (11:24 AM) on a mountain slope partially covered by patches of beech (Fagus sylvatica) forest at ca. 1650 m a.s.l. The wolf was following the brown bear, which was walking towards one of the patches of snow still present among the beeches. Apparently, the snow was the element that attracted the attention of the bear. Actually, a survey done the day after did not reveal any carrion in the vicinity of the interaction area. As soon as the bear reached the snow patch, the wolf sat close to it (picture 1) and remained observing the bear which started to do somersaults and slide on the snow (11:35 AM; pictures 2–4).

1 2

3 4

International Bear News Fall 2019 vol. 28 no. 3 19 Biological Research Until 11:42 AM the bear continued to run, slide and frolic in the snow apparently ignoring the close presence of the wolf, whereas the wolf (11:41 AM) stood up and started to run around the bear less than 10m from it, both when the bear was somersaulting and when it was going up the snow-covered slope to start somersaulting and sliding down again (five times at least; pictures 5–8). The half tail tuck along with a partially arched back seemed to indicate that the wolf was humbling itself and might have represented a form of submission (Harrington and Asa 2003).

5 6

7 8

After lying close to the bear (picture 9), the wolf displayed a ‘playing’ posture to the bear (picture 10) and, then, it started to move closer to it (picture 11). The bear did not show any reaction towards the wolf. When walking closer to the bear, the wolf clearly showed a fully tucked tail along with an arched back, which should be considered another form of submission (picture 12; 11:43 AM).

9 10

20 International Bear News Fall 2019, vol. 28 no. 3 Biological Research

11 12

In fact, when the bear stood up, the wolf ran away with a fully tucked tail (picture 13), a body position that may indicate that the wolf was running in fear and/or in a submissive manner (Harrington and Asa 2003). Starting at 11:44 AM, and continuing until the end of the interaction (11:46 AM), the wolf remained close to the bear, which was still lying in the snow (picture 14), with the same submissive attitude (picture 15). During this interaction, when the bear stood up and started to slowly approach the wolf (picture 16), the wolf continued to show submission until the bear left. Similar submissive behaviors of wolves, and almost no reactions from bears, had previously been observed in the same area when the species were interacting at carcasses (V. Penteriani, personal observations).

13 14

15 16

Even if it was not possible to establish the age of the wolf, the brown bear was considered to be a subadult. We might suppose that the observed sequences of play behaviors (picture 2–4, 6, 7, 10) involved juvenile individuals (Pellis et al. 2019), even if play behaviors are not a prerogative of juveniles (Fagen 1981, Sarti Oliveira et al. 2010, Byrne 2014, Pellis et al. 2019). During the juvenile period, several behaviors that are essential in infancy progressively disappear and other ones that are useful in adulthood increasingly emerge. It is in this transitional age that behaviors most likely labeled as play occur (Fagen 1981). However, from this transitional perspective, play might not be a distinct form of behavior, but rather, what appears as play may be a byproduct of the maturation of different behaviors (e.g. fighting, development and evaluation of strength,

International Bear News Fall 2019 vol. 28 no. 3 21 Biological Research learning of novel environmental information and their possible interactions; Sarti Oliveira et al. 2010,Pellis et al. 2019), which represent an important aspect of both wolf sociality (Harrington and Asa 2003,Essler et al. 2016) and brown bear cognitive development (Fagen and Fagen 2009). Actually, current functional explanations argue that playing allows for the practicing of real-world skills in conditions of relative safety (Byrne 2014) and play allows animals to develop social skills and eases their integration into groups (Sarti Oliveira et al. 2010). Social interactions are mainly seen and studied between conspecifics, but, for example (Byrne 2014): (a) baboons have been observed teasing cows when they were behind a fence and did not represent a danger for the teaser; and (b) young elephants frequently chase other animals, not just predators that might present some small threat to them, but also harm- less species. Teasing is fun for humans because we realize how our ‘victims’ feel (Reddy and Mireault 2015): does this mean that some species may have cognitive abilities beyond those we attribute to them?

Credit for all photos in this article: Massimo Pellegrini.

Literature Cited Byrne, R. W. 2014. The what as well as the why of animal fun. Current Biology 25: R2–R4. Essler, J. L., S. Cafazzo, S. Marshall-Pescini, Z. Virányi, K. Kotrschal, and F. Range. 2016. Play behavior in wolves: using the ‘ 50: 50 ’ rule to test for egalitarian play styles. PLoS ONE 11: e0154150. Fagen, R. 1981. Animal play behavior. Oxford University Press, New York, USA. Fagen, R., and J. Fagen. 2009. Play behaviour and multi-year juvenile survival in free-ranging brown bears , Ursus arctos. Evolutionary Ecology Research 11: 1–15. Harrington, F., and C. Asa. 2003. Wolf communication. Pages 66–103 in L. Mech and L Boitani, eds. Wolves: behavior, ecology, and conservation. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Pellis, S. M., V. C. Pellis, A. Pelletier, and J. Leca. 2019. Is play a behavior system , and , if so , what kind? Behavioural Pro- cesses 160: 1–9. Reddy, V., and G. Mireault. 2015. Teasing and clowning in infancy. Current Biology 25: R20– R23. Sarti Oliveira, A., A. Oliveira Rossi, L. Finocchiaro Romualdo Silva, M. Correa Lau, and R. Egydio Barreto. 2010. Play behaviour in nonhuman animals and the animal welfare issue. Journal of Ethology 28: 1–5.

22 International Bear News Fall 2019, vol. 28 no. 3 Biological Research Contents of Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus) Scat and the Bear’s Potential to Disperse Vaccinium floribundum in the Forest, Ecotone, and Páramo of Pacaipampa (Ayabaca, Piura, Peru)

Denisse Mateo Chero Field Program Coordinator, San Diego Zoo Global – Perú Urb. Quispicanchis, Av. Perú F-10, Cusco, Perú Email: [email protected]

The Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus) is considered vulnerable to extinction both globally and in Peru (Velez-Liendo and Garcia-Rangel 2017, SERFOR 2018), even though it is an adaptable and opportunistic omnivore reported to eat, across its range, stems, leaves, or fruits from ≥ 305 plant species, and to prey or scavenge on ≥ 40 animal species (Figueroa 2013, Gonzales et al. 2016). This bear has been suggested to be an important seed disperser but it remains poorly tested whether the bear functions as a seed disperser or as a seed predator. Because there is limited information on the ecology of the An- dean bear in northern Peru, I conducted a short-term and small-scale study with 2 objectives: to begin evaluating the bear’s diet from scat contents, and to begin to qualitatively evaluate the potential for this bear to function as a seed disperser of an important dietary item. My study was conducted at an average approximate elevation of 3354 m.a.s.l., centered at 4°57’30”S, 79°29’0”W, in the Department of Piura, Province of Ayabaca, District of Pacaipampa. This is within an area identified by Wallace et al. (2014) as important for the conservation of Andean bears (i.e., ABCU1). The annual average temperature at the study site is 14 - 15°C, with a minimum temperature of 5 - 7°C in June-September (More et al. 2014); annual rainfall varies from 500 - 3000 mm, with most rainfall from December to May. That is also the fruiting season for various species that may provide food for bears, such as species of Bromeliaceae, Ericaceae, Lauraceae, and Poaceae. The 3 primary habitat types are the fragmented and scat- tered humid montane forests (2200-3100 m.a.s.l.), the ecotone between the forests and the grassland, and the high elevation moist grassland, or páramo (> 2800 m.a.s.l.).

A map of the study area showing locations of fecal samples, with an inset showing the location of the study area relative to the rest of Peru.

International Bear News Fall 2019 vol. 28 no. 3 23 Biological Research I searched for evidence of bears while walking from 3,200 - 4,000 m.a.s.l. over 10 days (07:00h - 19:00h) in April and May 2014. I did not follow systematic transects but sought and followed game trails whenever possible, attempting to thor- oughly cover as much area as possible. I collected all scat encountered, regardless of its age, storing and transporting scat in 70% EtOH for later identification of scat contents. I also collected samples of common plants that I later identified through reference to the “Augusto Weberbauer” herbarium at the Universidad Agraria La Molina (Lima, Perú). I encountered 38 different signs of bears: 2 direct sightings, 5 marked trees, 1 climbed tree, 2 sites with eaten bromeliads, 2 beds, 4 trails, and 22 feces (all estimated to be < 3 weeks old). I Distribution of food items in feces (n = 22) of Andean bears across habitats. Bold font indicates a found 10 feces in páramo, 6 food item that must have originated in a habitat type different from where it was found. feces in ecotone, and 6 feces in montane forest. Feces contained 6 general types of dietary items: every scat contained plant matter, 4 feces (18.2 %) contained mammal remains, and 1 scat (4.6 %) contained the remains of a bird. I do not know whether all items were intentionally ingested or whether some might have been accidentally consumed while foraging on other items (e.g., leaves of Ericaceae may have been swallowed along with berries). The plant items I identified in feces included stems, leaves, berries, and seeds of Vaccinium floribundum (“mortiño”, “Andean blueberry”, Ericaceae), leaves of Puya sp. (“chupalla del oso”, Bromeliaceae), leaves of Guzmania sp. (Bromeliaceae), and stems of Chusquea sp. (“suro”, Poaceae). Guzmania sp. is an epiphytic bromeliad so it is not surprising that it was only found in feces within the forest. However, Puya sp., Chusquea sp., and V. floribundum do not live in the forest yet they were found in scat there. In fact, 2 of the 14 feces (14.3 %) that contained seeds of V. floribundum were found in the forest, where they would be unlikely to thrive. Although bears redis- tribute seeds, bears might not provide a net benefit to seeds. I cannot say whether or not the Andean bear is an effective disperser of V. floribundum seeds, which Evidence of V. floribundum in the field and in Andean bear feces: a) Andean bear feces full of pulp and seeds of were not obvi- V. floribundum. b) whole berries of V. floribundum. c) cross-section of a berry of V. floribundum. d) seeds of ously dam- V. floribundum from Andean bear feces. Credit: Denisse Mateo Chero. aged physical-

24 International Bear News Fall 2019, vol. 28 no. 3 Biological Research ly by ingestion. However, determining the effectiveness of the Andean bear as a seed disperser will require additional work of a nature that has rarely been done (but see Rivadeneira-Canedo 2008). Such work would include experimental analyses of the viability and germination of the seeds of V. floribundum that have, and have not, been consumed by Andean bears. Assuming the number of seeds/scat did not vary with habitat, my small data set suggests that, to have an overall positive impact on V. floribundum, the digestion and deposition of seeds by the Andean bear would have to increase plant recruitment by ≥14%. This seems like a large effect size. Thus, it remains unclear whether, from the perspective of V. floribundum, the Andean bear is a seed disperser or a seed predator.

Acknowledgements I gratefully acknowledge the support of the Community of Totora (Pacaipampa). I thank Prof. Pedro Huaman Mayta (De- partment de Biología, Universidad Ricardo Palma, Lima) and Jessica Amanzo (Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima) for their mentorship. I appreciate the assistance of the staff at the herbarium of the Unviersidad Agraria La Molina. Russ Van Horn helped revise this note.

Literature cited Figueroa, J. 2013. Revisión de la dieta del oso andino Tremarctos ornatus (Carnivora: Ursidae) en América del Sur y nuevos registros para el Perú. Revista del Museo Argentino de las Ciencias Naturales 15:1–27. [In Spanish.] Gonzales, F. N., J. Neira-Llerena, G. Llerena, and H. Zeballos. 2016. Pequeños vertebrados en la dieta del oso andino (Tremarctos ornatus Cuvier, 1825) en el norte del Perú. Revista Peruana de Biología 23:61–66. [In Spanish.] More, A., P. Villegas, and M. Alzamora. 2014. Piura: áreas prioritarias para la conservación de la biodiversidad. First edition. Naturaleza y Cultura Internacional - PROFONANPE, Santa María del Pinar, Piura, Perú. [In Spanish.] Rivadeneira-Canedo, C. 2008. Estudio del oso andino (Tremarctos ornatus) como dispersor legítimo de semillas y elemen- tos de su dieta en la región de Apolobamba-Bolivia. Ecología en Bolivia 43:29–39. [In Spanish.] SERFOR. 2018. Libro Rojo de la Fauna Silvestre Amenazada del Perú. 548. First edition. SERFOR (Servi- cio Nacional Forestal y de Fauna Silvestre), Lima, Peru. [In Spanish.] . Velez-Liendo, X., and S. Garcia-Rangel. 2017. Tremarctos ornatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. . Wallace, R. B., A. Reinaga, T. Siles, J. Baiker, I. Goldstein, B. Ríos Uzeda, R. Van Horn, R. Vargas, X. Velez-Liendo, L. Acosta, V. Albarracín, J. Amanzo, P. De La Torre, E. Domic, M. Enciso, C. Flores, A. Kuroiwa, R. Leite Pitman, K. Noyce, S. Paisley, B. Peña, H. Plenge, R. Rojas, V. Pinto, T. Tapia, and H. Vela. 2014. Andean Bear Priority Conservation Units in Bolivia & Peru. Wildlife Conservation Society, Centro de Biodiversidad y Genética de la Universidad Mayor de San Simón de Bolivia, Universidad Cayetano Heredia de Perú & Antwerp University, La Paz, Bolivia.

International Bear News Fall 2019 vol. 28 no. 3 25 Biological Research Red Rock Desert Black Bears: Using Stable Isotope Analysis to Estimate Dispersal

Sydney R. Stephens Austin M. Green The University of Utah, Department of Biology The University of Utah, Department of Biology Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

North of Moab and Castle Valley, Utah lies the Rio Mesa Field Station. I and other visiting scientists and university personnel began encountering American black bears (Ursus americanus) in the area in 2017. While it was assumed that bears sometimes used these red rock canyons as corridors to/from neighboring bear populations (the La Sals, San Juans, Book Cliffs and western Colorado), sightings were rare. Increased encounters were beginning to become abnormal for the area, so when I had my own encounter with a brown coated mother bear and her 2 brown and black cubs, I began wondering what their life history was, and how the juveniles would behave now that their ontogeny included this habitat while most other bears remained in more forested or mountainous areas. I set up hair snares around the field station property and the surrounding BLM land, paired with camera traps for visitation confirma- tion. I was hoping to collect fur from the whole family for stable isotope analysis of oxygen and hydrogen. The heavy and light isotopes of these elements are distributed in different ratios at different elevations when meteoric water is distributed (Hobson 1999). When animals drink water from ponds, streams, etc, or obtain it from plants (Ehlerginer and Dawson, 1992), the isotopes present in the water are a part of the building blocks for tissues like hair, blood, and nails. The isotopic values of the water, after fractionation from physiological processes, become conserved in these tissues. I hypothesized that there would be a significant difference in the fur of these individuals compared to bears of higher, more ‘traditional’ populations. This would suggest that they were not just passing through, but spending enough time in the area that its water was the main contribution to their diet. I attended the 2018 Western Black Bear workshop in Grand Junction, Colorado and soon learned that 2017 was a year of abnormal spring weather patterns documented in Western Colorado. This caused limited vegetative resources for bears, leading to increased conflict encounters in urban areas (Lewis et al. 2015). I assumed this fluctuation Deuterium (hydrogen isotope) values from RioMesa Field was behind the prolonged presence of those 3 bears and I wondered Station, La Sal Mountains, and San Mountains in south- if they would return that spring. No one saw the mother or brown east Utah. Darker coordinate points represent higher juvenile again. However, by May 2018 the black juvenile (who showed elevations. a particular curiosity and lack of inhibition that his relatives did not share) was back and eagerly eating my bait and marking scented structures. He came by the snares every couple weeks without fail, as confirmed by the cameras, even during the times I had missed a field session and there was no bait to attract him. Before long I had several samples from him. The Utah Division of Natural Resources’ Dustin Mitchell and Brad Crompton kindly began collecting hair from harvested bears from the La Sals and San Juan mountains south of my study site, to use as reference samples. The San Juans can be mountainous like the La Sals, but both are surrounded by desert, providing bears the opportunity to use lower elevation resources if they wish. Deuterium (hydrogen isotope) values along the y-axis against month along the x-axis, where lighter points represent a I used the University of Utah’s SIRFER to run samples higher elevation than darker points. through a mass spectrometer. Without incorporating

26 International Bear News Fall 2019, vol. 28 no. 3 Biological Research

(left) Black bear peers around perimeter of a barbed wire hair snare. June 2018. (center) Black bear collects apple and honey bait from the center of the hair snare after leaving fur samples.June 2018. (right) Black bear climbs a telephone pole scented with Calvin Klein’s Obsession cologne. The bear marks the telephone pole as seen with a faint stream of urine in the photo. October 2018. Photo credits: Sydney Stephens (Bushnell Camera Trap Photos)

mixing models to differentiate how much time was spent between higher and lower elevation (the isotopic water values from different locations would need to be derived, but I hope to include an estimate in my final analysis), what I present here is the raw values derived from individuals’ fur that represents a mean of that hair’s lifetime accumulation from different water sources. Another major caveat of analyzing these samples at this stage is that when plotted onto a map, the sites were based on where the bear was collected, not necessarily where it spent its life. Particularly in the San Juan samples (n=4), there was a lot of variation compared to the Rio Mesa (n=1, 7 samples) and La Sal samples (n=11), that had more consistent values. This implies that the values of a bear derived from a specific coordinate are not necessarily indicative of that area’s meteoric water value, as that individual could have spent much of their life and water consumption in other areas, skewing the average isotopic values in their hair. The preliminary results of this study show that the one Rio Mesa subadult individual who was the focus of my study showed statistically significant hydrogen values than in the reference samples of the higher elevation areas. This allows the assumption that this individual has spent either all or the majority of his life in low elevations, which in this landscape correlates with red rock desert habitat and sandstone canyons. Beyond human garbage, we spotted Mexican privet and skunk- bush berries/seeds in the scat of this individual. I hypothesize that the curiosity and quick acclimation to human presence of this particular bear lead it to monopolize the limited natural resources in combination with human-derived resources with little competition. American black bear ranges are expanding throughout the United States (Scheick and McCown 2014). Human-bear conflict is a concern with this scavenging species being prone to seeking out human garbage as a resource. With urban areas expanding and tourism increasing, this is expected to give rise to more conflict encounters. Moab, Utah is an internationally renowned tourist location with year-round visitors. It brings in huge amounts of environmentally-naive travelers with little to no concept of Leave-No-Trace ethics that help mitigate wildlife encounters and environmental pollutants. Even experienced, courteous local outdoor enthusiasts are mostly unaware that bears exist in this desert landscape. This presents a unique issue surrounding aptitude for conflict, in an environment that is not bear-aware. This 2019 summer, an investigative black bear attacked a 5-year-old boy inside his tent while sleeping near Moab. The family and media were astounded at this incident, unaware that such a danger even existed in this location. I predict that bear encounters in these areas will increase, creating a particular urge for continued research into landscape use by the animal, and a push for more bear-awareness signs and safe containers in heavily-trafficked areas.

Literature cited Ehleringer, J.R.., and Dawson, T. E. 1992. Water uptake by plants: perspectives from stable isotope composition. Plant, Cell & Environment 15: 1073-1082. Hobson, K. A. 1999. Tracing origins and migration of wildlife using stable isotopes: a review. Oecologia 120: 314-326. Lewis, D. L., et al. 2015. Foraging ecology of black bears in urban environments: guidance for human- bear conflict mitigation. Ecosphere 8: 1-18. Scheick, B.K., and W. McCow. 2014. Geographic distribution of American black bears in North America. Ursus 25: 24-34.

International Bear News Fall 2019 vol. 28 no. 3 27 Manager’s Corner Using Karelian Bear Dogs off-leash while hazing black bears

Heather Reich – Game Biologist Carl Lackey – Game Biologist Nevada Department of Wildlife Nevada Department of Wildlife Email: [email protected] Chair – IBA Management Committee Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Karelian Bear Dogs (KBDs) are a hunting breed of dog known for their fearless, persistent and tenacious behavior in the pursuit of large game, especially bears. The breed originates in the Karelia province of Finland, on Russia’s western border. They are believed to be descendants of a much older breed of bear dog, the Russo-European Laika. When hunting brown bears (Ursus arctos), Finnish hunters use KBDs to track, pursue and bay-up, or hold the bear until the hunter could approach and take their game. Part of the appeal of KBDs is that they typically hunt away from the hunter in wide, sweeping circles, “checking-in” with their handler about every 15-30 minutes. They do so, silently until they have found their prey, and then will begin to bark until the hunter arrives. Of course, this is all accomplished with the dog(s) off-leash. Further, unlike most breeds of hounding dogs, KBDs do not seek to engage the bear in a physical confrontation, choosing rather to nip at the bear as it is running and then avoiding any defensive turns or swipes. The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) has been using KBDs in black bear (U. americanus) management since 2001 and is one of only a few jurisdictions to recognize the breed’s potential as a non-lethal management tool. Currently only Washington, Montana and Alaska, and the Canadian province of Alberta use KBDs in their bear management programs. Additionally, KBDs are also used in some National Parks such as Glacier, Yosemite, Banff and Yellowstone. Unlike most jurisdictions however, NDOW uses their KBDs to work black bears off-leash, capitalizing on the innate ability of the breed to work a bear on the ground. The vast majority of bears handled by NDOW are considered to be human-habituated and are at various levels of human-bear conflict behavior. Following the processing of a captured bear (i.e., immobilization, tagging, collaring, and recovery), the bears are generally released on-site or near the point of capture. Almost immediately upon

Photos of Karelian Bear Dogs (KBDs) hazing an American black bear (Ursus americanus) off-leash following the bears capture in a human-bear conflict situation. Photo credit – JT Humphrey AKAwolf.com

28 International Bear News Fall 2019, vol. 28 no. 3 Manager’s Corner exiting the culvert trap the bears are typically subjected to barking dogs, people yelling and other loud noises. Most bears are then shot at with less-lethal rubber buckshot, dependent upon the size of the bear, with the average weight of adult male black bears in Nevada exceeding 140 kg (300 pounds). The KBDs (usually two or more) are released, generally when the bear is less than 10 meters away and will pursue the bear until either it trees or is bayed-up, or when the handler recalls it. At times the handler is able to witness the intense interactions between the bear and the dogs, but more often than not these interactions, including any physical contact, take place out of view. In the last couple of years, NDOW bear managers have had the opportunity to capture these interactions on video (GoPro ®) thanks to an experienced NDOW volunteer/professional videographer. We were previously unaware of just how often the KBDs are able to actually get a bite on the bears’ haunch or rear leg. Nor were we aware of how often the bears turned on the dogs, or how frequently the dogs routinely out-maneuvered these defensive moves by the bears. These interactions were not totally surprising, as this is exactly what KBDs are bred to do, but we decided to investigate this in more detail. We have decided to test the efficacy of the KBDs working off-leash compared to on-leash, less-lethal and other hazing tactics alone, and specifically to examine the effects these dogs have on bear management if, when and how often they are able to get a bite on the bear. NDOW previously assessed the effectiveness of using dogs to alter conflict behavior in black bears (Beckmann et. al. 2004) but that study used VHF collars, and researchers were only able to acquire approximately one fixed location per week. Using GPS collars programmed to take multiple fixes per day, we are striving for a much more detailed picture of the effects of the dogs on the temporal patterns of the bears activities post-release. Heather Reich is pursuing a graduate degree at the University of Nevada, Reno to investigate this aspect of human-bear conflict management. If successful, she will be able to scientifically analyze the effect of KBDs in bear management and further highlight the utility of dogs and their important role in resolving human-bear conflicts.

Literature Cited Beckmann, J. P., C. W. Lackey, and J. Berger. 2004. Evaluation of deterrent techniques and dogs to alter behavior of “nuisance” black bears. Wildlife Society Bulletin 32:1141-1146.

Learning from Orphan Black Bears in Alberta

Paul Frame IBA Managers Committee Provincial Carnivore Specialist, Alberta Environment and Parks Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Email: [email protected]

In spring 2017, Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP) began the process of changing policy to allow the captive rearing and release (commonly know as rehabilitation) of orphan black bear (Ursus americanus) cubs. In Alberta, black bears are plentiful and the risk of bears becoming habituated when exposed to neutral or positive interactions with humans (Alt and Beecham 1984, Hopkins et al. 2010), kept government from officially endorsing the practice in policy, although exceptions were made before 2010. While AEP was working on the development of an Orphan Black Bear Cub Rehabilitation Protocol (Protocol, Alberta Environment and Parks 2018), public opposition to euthanizing orphan cubs rose, increasing the urgency for policy change. Normally, AEP would have presented a draft protocol to rehabilitation practitioners prior to implementation, however, the public pressure to have a protocol in place prior to the spring bear season prevented this. Nonetheless, agency biologists used available literature, research, reports and their professional expertise to develop a protocol that provides care for orphaned black bears as the public demands, addresses public safety concerns of agency managers, and respects the wildness of wildlife (Alberta Environment and Parks 2018). Given the AEPs previous position in not allowing bear cubs to be raised in captivity and released back to the wild, Alberta is now taking a conservative approach, while still basing the protocol firmly in the available literature. The current protocol addresses young-of-the-year black bear cubs, but grizzly bears (U. arctos) are not considered. Candidate cubs must weigh 15 kg or less and they must be found before July 1st, otherwise they are left in the wild (Erickson 1959). However, exceptions to the July 1st cut-off can be made situationally. For instance, if an orphan cub is thin and malnourished in the autumn it can still be a candidate for rehabilitation. In order to decrease the chances of habituation, and at the same time allowing bears to emerge from their dens in the spring as free-living wild animals (Myers and Young 2018), releases are planed for mid to late

International Bear News Fall 2019 vol. 28 no. 3 29 Manager’s Corner October; at which time most wild black bears in Alberta have hibernated. Cubs are fitted with tracking collars to document post-release survival, and den entrance and emergence. Collars are programmed to drop off in May, allowing bears to grow without risk of injury while still providing valuable survival data. The Protocol is adaptive and will be updated as new information becomes available. Alberta accepted the first orphan cub (male) under the new Protocol in May and a second (female) in July, 2018. In response to moderate public opposition and the early onset of wintery conditions, the late October release of these cubs was postponed until late June, 2019. At the time of release, both cubs were in good physical condition and released in their general areas of capture. Eleven days after release the male bear traveled out of suitable habitat into a farmyard and was legally shot by the land owner after it displayed habituated behavior. The female bear has remained in the general area where she was released, and it is hoped that she will successfully den in the wild this year. Alberta has taken some criticism over the Protocol, specifically for not accepting cubs after July 1st, and for the October releases. We agree with both Erickson (1959) and Rogers (1992) who report that independent young-of-the-year cubs have a good chance of survival through their first winter. In mid-September 2018, Alberta attended a group of 3 orphaned cubs whose mother was struck by a car. The cubs were captured because of their proximity to a town site, and it was debated if they should be taken to a rehabilitation facility or moved to a remote area. The cubs were in good physical condition and there was plenty of natural food available that year. The AEP preferred the ‘keep it wild’ approach, and thus translocated the cubs. Following standard practice, all 3 of the cubs had ear and PIT tags attached before they were released. In mid-September 2019 a landowner lethally removed a black bear involved in conflict at his ranch. Upon inspection, it was learned that the bear was one of the cubs moved the year before. The outcome for this bear is unfortunate, however, the resilience that it showed by surviving for a year without its mother, successfully denning on its own (or perhaps with its siblings), and surviving through a very cold Alberta winter, further supports AEPs protocol. In 2019, 1 orphan cub (female) was brought to a rehab facility and preparations are being made for her fall release. The bear will be remotely monitored with a tracking collar through mid-May of next year to assess post-release and denning survival. Given the example above and results of Myers and Young (2018) there is much optimism that this cub will successfully den and survive the upcoming winter.

Literature cited Alberta Environment and Parks. 2018. Alberta orphan black bear cub rehabilitation protocol. Alberta Environment and Parks, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. https://open.alberta.ca/publications/alberta-orphan-black-bear-cub-rehabilitation-protocol. Accessed 5 Oct 2019. Alt, G. L., and J. J. Beecham. 1984. Reintroduction of orphaned black bear cubs into the wild. Wildlife Society Bulletin. 12: 169-174. Erickson, A. W. 1959. The age of self-sufficiency in black bear. Journal of Wildlife Management 23: 401-405. Hopkins III, J. B., S. Herrero, R. T. Shideler, K. A. Gunther, C. C. Schwartz, and S. T. Kalinowski. 2010. A proposed lexicon of terms and concepts for human-bear management in North America. Ursus 21: 154-168. Rogers, L. 1992. Aiding the wild survival of orphaned bear cubs. Wildlife Rehabilitation 4: 104-112.

30 International Bear News Fall 2019, vol. 28 no. 3 Symposium Reports Working together to save sun bears! The 2nd International Symposium on Sun Bear Conservation and Management

Miriam Kunde Danau Girang Field Centre, c/o Sabah Wildlife Department, Wisma MUIS, Block B 5th Floor, 88100 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Email: [email protected],

Benoît Goossens Danau Girang Field Centre, c/o Sabah Wildlife Department, Wisma MUIS, Block B 5th Floor, 88100 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia & Organisms and Environment Division, Cardiff School of Biosciences Cardiff University, Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK Email: [email protected],

Thye Lim Tee Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia Email: [email protected],

Wong Siew Te Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia Email: [email protected]

From the 23rd till the 26th of September 2019, the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD), Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) and Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) held the 2nd International Symposium on Sun Bear Conservation and Management in Kota Kinabalu, Borneo. This symposium followed the Sun Bear Conservation and Management symposium which was hosted by TRAFFIC and Free the Bears 2 years ago in Kuala Lumpur. The 1st symposium resulted in the development of the Global Status Review & Conservation Action Plan for sun bears 2019-2028 (Crudge et al. 2019) and invited range countries to use this action plan as a template, and to then host their own symposium to develop state or country specific sun bear action plans. Sabah is the first state of the range countries that is following suit. The SWD, BSBCC and DGFC have invited sun bear experts, stakeholders, NGOs and industry players to gather at Le Meridien Hotel to develop the first ‘Sun Bear Action plan for Sabah 2020-2029’. The 4-day long symposium comprised of a 2-day international symposium, preceded by a 2-day technical working group for the Sun Bear Action Plan for Sabah. The technical working group composed of 20 participants that encompassed members from SWD, BSBCC, DGFC, Free the Bears, Animals Asia, Sunway University, Amity University (India), TRAFFIC South East

Asia, Sabah Foundation, WWF Malaysia, Chiew Lin May Sabah Forestry Department, and Malaysian Members of the Sun Bear Action Plan working group for Sabah. Nature Society. The 2-day workshop was led (left to right) Top: Matt Hunt, Shyamala Ratnayeke, Hamzah Tangki, Heidi Quine, Benoît Goossens, Wong Siew Te, Miriam Kunde, Peter Malim, Chin Suk Teng, Brian by Dr. Wong Siew Te, founder and CEO of Crudge, Ng Wai Pak. Bottom: Thye Lim Tee Gloria Ganang, Audrey Umbol, Mohd the BSBCC and Dr Miriam Kunde, carnivore Soffian Abu Baker, Janmejay Sethy, Macarena Gonzalez, Yeoh Boon Nie, Cheryl conservation and scientific field officer for Cheah, Chiew Lin May.

International Bear News Fall 2019 vol. 28 no. 3 31 Symposium Reports DGFC. During the workshop, the working group members reviewed a first draft of the Sabah Sun Bear Action Plan. The amended draft of the Action Plan was then later presented at the two-day International Symposium. Under the slogan: “Working together to save sun bears” the international symposium was opened by Guest of Honor YB Assaffal P. Alian, Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment who reminded the general public, stakeholders and the experts to how unique Borneo’s wildlife is and that we must do everything we can to protect it. His speech was followed by an address given by the director of Sabah Wildlife Department, Mr. Augustine Tuuga (photo left). Dr. Wong Siew Te (BSBCC), Matt Hunt (Free the Bears), Pattarawan Phumpanna (Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand), Lorenzo Gaffi (Istituto Oikos Myanmar), Janmejay Sethy (Amity University (India))

Chiew Lin May and Mohammad Kamaruddin (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia) were Souvenir presentation for the guest of honour YB As- providing status updates of the sun bears across their range coun- saffal P. Alian, Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture tries. Lesley Small introduced us to the sun bear sanctuary she is cur- and Environment by Mr Augustine Tuuga, Director of rently establishing. Heidi Quine informed us about the ongoing work Sabah Wildlife Department. (left to right) Wong Siew Te, Augustine Tuuga, YB Assaffal P. Alian, Benoît Goossens. from Animals Asia to end bear bile farming and her research into the attitudes, motivation and perception of bear farmers in Vietnam. New research results were presented by Master students Sherene Lai who conducted a mtDNA analysis on sun bears from Malay Peninsula and Sabah and Thye Lim Tee on a non-invasive method for estimating the population size of sun bears in Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah. The last presentation for the first day was held by Kanitha Krishnasamy (TRAFFIC South East Asia), reporting an update on the sun bear trade in SE Asia. Following her presentation, sun bear poaching and trade was discussed and how to address these issues in the Sun Bear Action Plan for Sabah. The second day of the international symposium started with a presentation from Thye Lim Tee on ‘Sun bear release monitoring in Sabah’. Here he presented his experience with release-walking sun bear cubs and the successes and failures of monitoring released sun bears. His presentation was followed by a discussion about sun bear release, translocation and monitoring. The Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia (PERHILITAN), announced that they have translocated and released several sun bears and that a written review of these efforts is currently conducted. After discussing release and translocation efforts, all participants debated sun bear captive breeding plans in Sabah and whether or not it is of conservation priority and should be included in the Sabah Action Plan. Brian Crudge (Free the Bears) held an open forum on the Action Plan and his vision on how to coordinate and implement the actions. The open forum then led into a questionnaire to all symposium participants on prioritising ex-situ research on sun bears that aid conservation efforts. The final open forum was on the ‘Sun Bear Action Plan 2020-2029 for Sabah’. Here, the action plan drafted during the 2-day workshop was presented and opened up for discussion. Some of the main conclusions reached during the symposium were that sun bears still lack baseline research (e.g., the distribution of sun bears in Sabah). Therefore, a state-wide survey for sun bears has been identified as a research priority for Sabah. Other research shortcomings identified were in sun bear diseases and general health, habitat requirements, population monitoring, reproductive biology as well as release and translocation monitoring. Currently, the lack of research into sun bear diseases, habitat requirements and how to conduct population and release monitoring does not propose sun bear releases as a recommended conservation tool. Further, it was concluded that sun bear captive breeding is not a conservation priority for sun bears in Sabah, but that research into the reproductive biology should commence now and in conjunction with an international research effort. The Sabah Action Plan will introduce further actions to mitigate sun bear-human conflict. Additional efforts will be made to combat the illegal trade by attempting to establish an Intelligence unit for the Sabah Wildlife Department as well as the establishment of a wildlife forensic laboratory located in Sabah. This 2nd International Symposium on Sun Bear Conservation and Management resulted in the drafting of a Sun Bear Ac- tion Plan for Sabah 2020-2029, which is currently under review and hopefully presented to the public by the end of this year. The 3rd sun bear symposium will be held by Animals Asia in Vietnam in 2021. The workshop and symposium were organized and funded by the BSBCC and DGFC.

Literature Cited Crudge, B., C. Lees, M. Hunt, R. Steinmetz, G. Fredriksson, and D. Garshelis. 2019. Sun bears: global status review and conservation action plan, 2019-2028. IUCN SSC Bear Specialist Group / IUCN SSC Conservation Planning Specialist Group / Free the bears / TRAFFIC.

32 International Bear News Fall 2019, vol. 28 no. 3 Conference Announcements 27th International Conference On Bear Research & Management September 21 – 25, 2020, Kalispell, Montana, United States

Planning is well underway for the 27th International Conference on Bear Research and Management. The conference will be held in Kalispell, Montana September 21 – 25, 2020. Located in the beautiful Flathead Valley, Kalispell is surrounded by National Forest Land and numerous recreational opportunities. Fall is a beautiful time to visit.

The 27th IBA Conference will showcase recent worldwide developments in research, management, and conservation of all bear species. Two workshops will kick off the conference: Wildlife Human Attack Response Training and Integrated Population Models. The workshops will be held Sunday, September 20th. On Monday, September 21st, the formal conference program will begin. The plenary session will focus on grizzly bear recovery within the United States and will feature presentations by Rick Mace, Cecily Costello, Frank van Manen, Wayne Kasworm, and Hilary Cooley. The last time the IBA conference was in Kalispell, Montana was over 40 years ago and the grizzly bear had recently been listed as an endangered species. The plenary session will highlight the management, research, victories, policies, and challenges associated with the recovery of this iconic species.

We are pleased to announce that the call for oral presentations and posters is now open! Abstracts will be accepted until January 15, 2020 and must be submitted via the conference website at https://iba2020mt.com/abstracts. The main theme of the 27th IBA conference is “Conserving Bears in a Changing World.”

We welcome abstracts that fit into the overall theme as well as the following scientific themes: • Human-bear interactions and management • Bears and society • Bears of the world: distribution and conservation status • Population estimation and monitoring • Bear ecology and behavior • Ex situ conservation • Resource use and spatial ecology • Connectivity • Applied conservation solutions • Bears and the economy • BSG Session - Successes, failures and uncertainties in bear conservation

For more information about the conference including accommodation, registration, and fieldtrip information, please visit the official conference website (www.iba2020MT.com). We hope to see you in Montana! Spencer Rettler Spencer

International Bear News Fall 2019 vol. 28 no. 3 33 Workshop Announcements Human-Bear Conflict Conference October 4-7, 2021, Lake Tahoe, Nevada, United States

Carl Lackey Chair - IBA Management Committee Game Biologist, Nevada Department of Wildlife, Minden, Nevada Email: [email protected]

Save the Date! The next Human-Bear Conflict (HBC) Conference will be October 4-7, 2021 at Harrah’s Resort, Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The conference will be hosted by the Nevada Department of Wildlife. More information will be posted at a later date.

25th Eastern Black Bear Workshop 2021. Wisconsin, United States

Save the Date! Wisconsin will be hosting the 25th Eastern Black Bear Workshop in 2021. Details will be posted at www.easternblackbearworkshop.org as they become available. The 3rd International Symposium on Sun Bear Conservation and Management 2021

The 3rd International Symposium on Sun Bear Conservation and Management will be held by Animals Asia in Vietnam in 2021.

Student Forum Truman Listserv and Facebook Page • 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 Listserv Signup Instructions - Visit: https://www.bearbiology.org/membership/students/ - Follow the links to request an invitation - 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. Facebook Signup Instructions - Visit: https://facebook.com/groups/IBA.Conference/

34 International Bear News Fall 2019, vol. 28 no. 3 Publications Recent Bear Literature Marion Schneider Email: [email protected]

If you have an article recently published please email the citation for inclusion in the next issue of Recent Bear Literature. We appreciate direct contact with you. The deadlines for the next issues are: • Spring Issue: 5 February: Agnieszka Sergiel: [email protected] • Summer Issue: 5 June: Agnes Pelletier: [email protected] • Fall Issue: 5 October: Marion Schneider: [email protected]

For easy access to articles, we are including the DOI citation, as well as the email contact of one coauthor if available. To open articles from their DOI, enter the DOI citation in the text box provided at the following website: http://dx.doi.org Abidin, K. Z., T. Lihan, T. M. Taher, N. Nazri, I.-H. A. Zaini, M. S. Mansor, R. Topani, and S. M. Nor. 2019. Predicting potential conflict areas of the Malayan sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) in Peninsular Malaysia using Maximum Entropy model. Mammal Study 44:193-204. DOI: 10.3106/ms2018-0064. Adhikari, J. N., B. P. Bhattarai, and T. B. Thapa. 2019. Determinants of distribution of large mammals in Seti River Basin, Tanahun District of Western Nepal. Journal of Institute of Science and Technology 24:63-71. DOI: 10.3126/jist.v24i1.24638. Email: bpbhat- [email protected]. Almasieh, K., and M. Kaboli. 2019. Assessment of landscape connectivity and prediction of migration corridors for the Baluchistan Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus gedrosianus Blanford, 1877) in the Southeastern Habitats, Iran. Iranian Journal of Applied Ecology 8:33-45. Andronowski, J. M., R. A. Davis, and H. E. Stephen. 2019. Inferring bone attribution to species through micro-computed tomogra- phy: a comparison of third metapodials from Homo sapiens and Ursus americanus. Journal of Forensic Radiology and Imaging 18:11-17. DOI: 10.1016/j.jofri.2019.08.001. Email: [email protected]. Arumugam, K. A., and G. Annavi. 2019. Captive breeding of threatened mammals native to Southeast Asia–A review on their ex-situ management, implication and reintroduction guidelines. Annual Research & Review in Biology. DOI: 10.9734/ARRB/2018/45921. Email: [email protected]. Arun, A. S., P. M. Sidharth, V. P. Rashamol, V. Sejian, and R. Bhatta. 2019. Comparative study on the rhythmic changes in haematologi- cal parameters between captive and free ranging wild sloth bear (Melursus ursinus). Biological Rhythm Research 50:805-822. DOI: 10.1080/09291016.2018.1498231. Email: [email protected]. Azad, S., K. Mcfadden, J. D. Clark, T. Wactor, and D. S. Jachowski. 2019. Applying spatially explicit capture–recapture models to estimate black bear density in South Carolina. Wildlife Society Bulletin. DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1007. Email: [email protected]. Balseiro, A., L. J. Royo, E. Gayo, and J. F. G. Marin. 2019. Cholangiocarcinoma in a free-ranging Eurasian brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos) from Northern Spain. J Wildl Dis. DOI: 10.7589/2019-03-054. Email: [email protected]. Bando, M. K. H., O. L. Nelson, C. Kogan, R. Sellon, M. Wiest, H. J. Bacon, M. Hunter-Ishikawa, W. Leadbeater, K. Yamazaki, Y. Jin, T. Komatsu, and D. McGeachy. 2019. Metabolic derangements and reduced survival of bile-extracted Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus). BMC Vet Res 15:263. DOI: 10.1186/s12917-019-2006-6. Barlow, A., G. L. Sheng, X. L. Lai, M. Hofreiter, and J. L. Paijmans. 2019. Once lost, twice found: combined analysis of ancient giant panda sequences characterises extinct clade. Journal of Biogeography 46:251-253. DOI: 10.1111/jbi.13486. Email: axel.barlow.ab@ gmail.com. Bartareau, T. M. 2019. Growth rate and body size at maturity of Florida black bears. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management. (in press) Baryshnikov, G., D. Gimranov, and P. Kosintsev. 2019. Variability of the upper incisors in the cave bears (Carnivora, Ursidae) from the Caucasus and Urals. Comptes Rendus Palevol 18:209-222. DOI: 10.1016/j.crpv.2018.08.001. Email: [email protected]. Bechshoft, T., M. Dyck, K. A. S. Pierre, A. E. Derocher, and V. S. Louis. 2019. The use of hair as a proxy for total and methylmercury burdens in polar bear muscle tissue. Science of The Total Environment 686:1120-1128. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.087. Email: [email protected]. Blanchet, L., B. Fuchs, O.-G. Støen, A. Bergouignan, A. Ordiz, T. G. Laske, J. M. Arnemo, and A. L. Evans. 2019. Movement and heart rate in the Scandinavian brown bear (Ursus arctos). Animal Biotelemetry 7:1-12. DOI: 10.1186/s40317-019-0181-7. Bocherens, H. 2019. Isotopic insights on cave bear palaeodiet. Historical Biology 31:410-421. DOI: 10.1080/08912963.2018.1465419. Email: [email protected]. Boesen, A. H., A. Thiel, B. Fuchs, A. L. Evans, M. F. Bertelsen, I. Rodushkin, and J. M. Arnemo. 2019. Assessment of the LeadCare® Plus for use on Scandinavian Brown Bears (Ursus arctos). Frontiers in Veterinary Science 6:285. DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00285. Email: [email protected].

International Bear News Fall 2019 vol. 28 no. 3 35 Publications Boisvert, G., C. Sonne, F. F. Rigét, R. Dietz, and R. J. Letcher. 2019. Bioaccumulation and biomagnification of perfluoroalkyl acids and precursors in East Greenland polar bears and their ringed seal prey. Environmental Pollution. DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.06.035. Email: [email protected]. Bonnet-Lebrun, A. S., A. Karamanlidis, M. de Gabriel Hernando, I. Renner, and O. Gimenez. 2019. Identifying priority conservation areas for a recovering brown bear population in Greece using citizen science data. Animal Conservation. DOI: 10.1111/acv.12522. Email: [email protected]. Booth, A. L., and D. A. Ryan. 2019. A tale of two cities, with bears: understanding attitudes towards urban bears in British Columbia, Canada. Urban Ecosystems:1-13. DOI: 10.1007/s11252-019-00873-7. Email: [email protected]. Borzee, A., Y. Yi, D. Andersen, K. Kim, K.-S. Moon, J.-J. Kim, T.-W. Kim, and Y. Jang. 2019. First dispersal event of a reintroduced Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) in Korea. Russian Journal of Theriology 18:51. DOI: 10.15298/rusjtheriol.18.1.06. Boucher, N. P., A. E. Derocher, and E. S. Richardson. 2019. Space use patterns affect stable isotopes of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the Beaufort Sea. Polar Biology 42:1581-1593. DOI: 10.1007/s00300-019-02546-9. Email: [email protected]. S. Büssing, A. G., A. Thielking, and S. Menzel. 2019. Can a like save the planet? Comparing antecedents of and correlations between environmental liking on social media, money donation, and volunteering. Frontiers in psychology 10:1989. DOI: 10.3389/ fpsyg.2019.01989. Email: [email protected]. Chabot, D., S. Stapleton, and C. M. Francis. 2019. Measuring the spectral signature of polar bears from a drone to improve their detection from space. Biological Conservation 237:125-132. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2019.06.022. Email: dominique.chabot@mail. mcgill.ca. Chen, Y.-C., S.-P. Aui, Y.-S. Lai, and K.-T. Chang. 2019. Adult stem cells in hibernation: future perspectives of space travel. International Journal of Stem Cells. DOI: 10.15283/ijsc19048. Email: [email protected]. Chirichella, R., A. Mustoni, F. Zibordi, M. Armanini, A. Caliari, and M. Apollonio. 2019. Rent a room in the Alps: winter den site preferences of native and reintroduced brown bears. Mammal Research 64:213-222. DOI: 10.1007/s13364-018-0402-0. Email: [email protected]. Davis, E. O., B. Crudge, T. Lim, D. O’Connor, V. Roth, M. Hunt, and J. A. Glikman. 2019. Correction: Understanding the prevalence of bear part consumption in Cambodia: A comparison of specialised questioning techniques. PloS one 14:e0214392. DOI: 10.1371/ journal.pone.0214392. Email: [email protected]. Deacy, W. W., W. B. Leacock, E. J. Ward, and J. B. Armstrong. 2019. Aerial surveys cause large but ephemeral decreases in bear presence at salmon streams in Kodiak, Alaska. PloS one 14:e0222085. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222085. Email: will.deacy@gmail. com. Deb, J. C., S. Phinn, N. Butt, and C. A. McAlpine. 2019. Adaptive management and planning for the conservation of four threatened large Asian mammals in a changing climate. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change 24:259-280. DOI: 10.1007/ s11027-018-9810-3. Email: [email protected]. Deng, L., J.-X. Yao, H.-F. Liu, Z.-Y. Zhou, Y.-J. Chai, W.-Y. Wang, Z.-J. Zhong, J.-L. Deng, Z.-H. Ren, and H.-L. Fu. 2019. First report of Blastocystis in giant pandas, red pandas, and various bird species in Sichuan province, southwestern China. International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.06.007. Email: [email protected]. Duncan, C., K. Patyk, M. A. Wild, T. Shury, K. M. Leong, and C. Stephen. 2019. Perspectives on wildlife health in national parks: concurrence with recent definitions of health. Human Dimensions of Wildlife:1-9. DOI: 10.1080/10871209.2019.1650402. Durner, G. M., D. C. Douglas, and T. C. Atwood. 2019. Are polar bear habitat resource selection functions developed from 1985–1995 data still useful? Ecology and Evolution 9:8625-8638. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5401. Email: [email protected]. Elfadl, A. K., S. Park, H. Ullah, S.-H. Youn, M.-J. Chung, J.-Y. Son, J.-Y. Lee, S.-W. Lee, A. Lee, and S.-M. Baek. 2019. Sertoli Cell Tumor (SCT) in a captive black bear (Ursus americanus). Veterinary Sciences 6:77. DOI: 10.3390/vetsci6040077. Email: ahmedpath@ hotmail.com. Fedorca, A., I.-R. M. Russo, O. Ionescu, G. Ionescu, M. Popa, M. Fedorca, A. L. Curtu, N. Sofletea, G. M. Tabor, and M. W. Bruford. 2019. Inferring fine-scale spatial structure of the brown bear (Ursus arctos) population in the Carpathians prior to infrastructure development. Scientific Reports 9:9494. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45999-y. Fowler, N. L., J. L. Belant, G. Wang, and B. D. Leopold. 2019. Ecological plasticity of denning chronology by American black bears and brown bears. Global Ecology and Conservation 20:e00750. DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00750. Email: [email protected]. Friso, F., and M. Politi. 2019. Biodiversity conservation in a wild therapeutic garden; the case of Takiwasi center botanical reserve in the peruvian high-amazon. Horticult Int J 3:41-44. Email: [email protected]. Fry, T. L., K. R. Friedrichs, T. C. Atwood, C. Duncan, K. Simac, and T. Goldberg. 2019. Reference intervals for blood-based biochemical analytes of southern Beaufort Sea polar bears. Conservation Physiology 7:coz040. DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coz040. Email: tfry@ wisc.edu. Galicia, M. P., G. W. Thiemann, and M. G. Dyck. 2019. Correlates of seasonal change in the body condition of an Arctic top predator. Global Change Biology. DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14817. Email: [email protected]. Gantchoff, M., L. Conlee, and J. Belant. 2019. Conservation implications of sex-specific landscape suitability for a large generalist carnivore. Diversity and Distributions. DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12954. Email: [email protected].

36 International Bear News Fall 2019, vol. 28 no. 3 Publications García-Vázquez, A., A. C. Pinto Llona, and A. Grandal-d’Anglade. 2019. Post-glacial colonization of Western Europe brown bears from a cryptic Atlantic refugium out of the Iberian Peninsula. Historical Biology 31:618-630. DOI: 10.1080/08912963.2017.1384473. Gastineau, A., A. Robert, F. Sarrazin, J.-B. Mihoub, and P.-Y. Quenette. 2019. Spatiotemporal depredation hotspots of brown bears, Ursus arctos, on livestock in the Pyrenees, France. Biological Conservation 238:108210. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108210. Email: [email protected]. Geng, Y., F. Shen, W. Wu, L. Zhang, L. Luo, Z. Fan, R. Hou, B. Yue, and X. Zhang. 2020. First demonstration of giant panda’s immune response to canine distemper vaccine. Developmental & Comparative Immunology 102:103489. DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2019.103489. Email: [email protected]. Ghazali, A., A. Meisery, L. Adam, M. Hasnan, M. Yazi, P. Patah, M. Rozi, A. Rasid, and C. Tan. 2019. Wildlife monitoring at Labis Timur Ecological Corridor (CFS2: PL1) in Johor, Malaysia. Journal of Wildlife and Parks 34:2. Email: [email protected]. Gouda, S., N. Singh, and J. S. Chauhan. 2019. Status and distribution of Malayan Sun Bear (Helarctos malayanus) in Dampa Tiger Re- serve, Mizoram, India. Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity 3:45-56. DOI: 10.22120/jwb.2019.113261.1083. Email: sushantogouda@ gmail.com. Guang, X.-M., J.-Q. Xia, J.-Q. Lin, J. Yu, Q.-H. Wan, and S.-G. Fang. 2019. IDSSR: An Efficient pipeline for identifying polymorphic microsatellites from a single genome sequence. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 20:3497. DOI: 10.3390/ijms20143497. Email: [email protected]. Hamilton, S., and A. Derocher. 2019. Assessment of global polar bear abundance and vulnerability. Animal Conservation 22:83-95. DOI: 10.1111/acv.12439. Email: [email protected]. Hatch, K. A., K. A. Kester, J. Auger, B. L. Roeder, K. Bunnell, and H. L. Black. 2019. The effect of sex, age, and location on carnivory in Utah black bears (Ursus americanus). Oecologia 189:931-937. DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04385-1. Email: [email protected]. edu. He, K., Q. Dai, A. Foss-Grant, E. Gurarie, W. F. Fagan, M. A. Lewis, J. Qing, F. Huang, X. Yang, and X. Gu. 2019. Movement and activity of reintroduced giant pandas. Ursus 29:163-174. DOI: 10.2192/URSUS-D-17-00030.1. Hilderbrand, G. V., K. Joly, M. S. Sorum, M. D. Cameron, and D. D. Gustine. 2019. Brown bear (Ursus arctos) body size, condition, and productivity in the Arctic, 1977–2016. Polar Biology 42:1125-1130. DOI: 10.1007/s00300-019-02501-8. Email: ghilderbrand@usgs. gov. Hooker, M. J., B. T. Bond, and M. J. Chamberlain. 2019. Population genetics of American black bears in Georgia, USA. Ursus 29:134- 146. DOI: 10.2192/URSUS-D-18-00025.1. Huang, X., Z. Zhou, H. Liu, L. Deng, B. Bi, Y. Chai, Z. Zhong, Y. Hu, H. Fu, and G. Peng. 2019. New genotypes and molecular character- ization of Enterocytozoon bieneusi in captive black bears in China. International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife 10:1-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.06.012. Email: [email protected]. Huarcaya, R. P., C. Beirne, S. J. S. Rojas, and A. Whitworth. 2019. Camera trapping reveals a diverse and unique high-elevation mammal community under threat. Oryx:1-8. DOI: 10.1017/S0030605318001096. Email: [email protected]. Jabin, G., S. K. Singh, A. Ghosh, S. Basu, K. Chandra, and M. Thakur. 2019. Illegal trade of obscured bear parts: a case study of identifying the suspected bear gall bladders. Forensic Science International: Reports. DOI: 10.1016/j.fsir.2019.100001. Email: [email protected]. Jambari, A., S. Sasidhran, H. R. A. Halim, K. A. Mohamed, A. Ashton-Butt, A. M. Lechner, and B. Azhar. 2019. Quantifying species richness and composition of elusive rainforest mammals in Taman Negara National Park, Peninsular Malaysia. Global Ecology and Conservation 18:e00607. DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00607. Email: [email protected]. Jansen, H. T., S. Trojahn, M. W. Saxton, C. R. Quackenbush, B. D. E. Hutzenbiler, O. L. Nelson, O. E. Cornejo, C. T. Robbins, and J. L. Kel- ley. 2019. Hibernation induces widespread transcriptional remodeling in metabolic tissues of the grizzly bear. Communications Biology 2:1-10. DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0574-4. Jenantika, P. U., Y. Fahrimal, and A. Sayuti. 2019. Identifikasi parasit gastrointestinal pada beruang madu (Helarctos malayanus) di Taman Margasatwa Medan (Identification of gastrointestinal parasites in sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) in Taman Margasatwa Medan) Jurnal Ilmiah Veteriner 3:142-148. Email: [email protected]. Jeong, D.-H., J.-J. Yang, and S.-C. Yeon. 2019. Fluoxetine therapy to decrease stereotypic behavior in the Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus). Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 50:718-722. DOI: 10.1638/2017-0160. Kearney, S. P., N. C. Coops, G. B. Stenhouse, S. E. Nielsen, T. Hermosilla, J. C. White, and M. A. Wulder. 2019. Grizzly bear selection of recently harvested forests is dependent on forest recovery rate and landscape composition. Forest Ecology and Management 449:117459. DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2019.117459. Email: [email protected]. Khan, F. A. A., N. Shazali, N. Latip, and I. Azhar. 2019. Short communication into the heart of Borneo: mammals of Upper Baleh, Sarawak. Journal of Sustainability Science and Management 14:173-182. Email: [email protected]. Khorozyan, I., and M. Waltert. 2019. How long do anti-predator interventions remain effective? Patterns, thresholds and uncertainty. Royal Society Open Science 6:190826. DOI: 10.1098/rsos.190826. Email: [email protected]. Koehler, G., K. J. Kardynal, and K. A. Hobson. 2019. Geographical assignment of polar bears using multi-element isoscapes. Scientific Reports 9:9390. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45874-w.

International Bear News Fall 2019 vol. 28 no. 3 37 Publications Koizumi, C. L., and A. E. Derocher. 2019. Predation risk and space use of a declining Dall sheep (Ovis dalli dalli) population. PloS one 14:e0215519. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215519. Email: [email protected]. Koren, L., H. Bryan, D. Matas, S. Tinman, Å. Fahlman, D. Whiteside, J. Smits, and K. Wynne-Edwards. 2019. Towards the validation of endogenous steroid testing in wildlife hair. Journal of Applied Ecology 56:547-561. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13306. Email: lee. [email protected]. Lamamy, C., G. Bombieri, A. Zarzo-Arias, E. González-Bernardo, and V. Penteriani. 2019. Can landscape characteristics help explain the different trends of Cantabrian brown bear subpopulations? Mammal Research:1-9. DOI: 10.1007/s13364-019-00440-7. Email: [email protected]. Leclerc, M., A. Zedrosser, J. Swenson, and F. Pelletier. 2019. Hunters select for behavioral traits in a large carnivore. Scientific Reports 9:1-8. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48853-3. Li, C., T. Connor, W. Bai, H. Yang, J. Zhang, D. Qi, and C. Zhou. 2019a. Dynamics of the giant panda habitat suitability in response to changing anthropogenic disturbance in the Liangshan Mountains. Biological Conservation 237:445-455. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2019.07.018. Email: [email protected]. Li, F., X. Huang, X. Zhang, J. Y. XX Z, and B. Chan. 2019b. Mammals of Tengchong Section of Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve in Yunnan Province. Journal of Threatened Taxa 11:14402-14414. DOI: 10.11609/jot.4439.11.11.14402-14414. Email: [email protected]. Liu, H.-L. S., M. J. Bradley, I.-C. N. Wu, and J. N. Maples. 2019a. Resident perceptions of black bear management in South Central Kentucky. Natural Resources 10:271-283. DOI: 10.4236/nr.2019.107017. Email: [email protected]. Liu, Q., X. Ni, Q. Wang, Z. Peng, L. Niu, M. Xie, Y. Lin, Y. Zhou, H. Sun, and K. Pan. 2019b. Investigation of lactic acid bacteria isolated from Giant Panda feces for potential probiotics in vitro. Probiotics and Aantimicrobial proteins 11:85-91. DOI: 10.1007/s12602-017- 9381-8. Email: [email protected]. Lokken, N. A., D. A. Clark, E. G. Broderstad, and V. H. Hausner. 2019. Inuit attitudes towards co-managing wildlife in three communities in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut, Canada. ARCTIC 72:58-70. DOI: 10.14430/arctic67868. Lomac-MacNair, K., J. Pedro Andrade, and E. Esteves. 2019. Seal and polar bear behavioral response to an icebreaker vessel in northwest Greenland. Human–Wildlife Interactions 13:13. DOI: 10.26077/pxn3-h858. Email: [email protected]. Maiorano, L., L. Chiaverini, M. Falco, and P. Ciucci. 2019. Combining multi-state species distribution models, mortality estimates, and landscape connectivity to model potential species distribution for endangered species in human dominated landscapes. Biological Conservation 237:19-27. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2019.06.014. Email: [email protected]. Manjunatha, V., M. Rout, A. Sha, S. Byregowda, and T. Joseph. 2019. Coprological analysis for estimating prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in captive sloth bears (Melursus ursinus). Indian Journal of Animal Research 53. DOI: 10.1080/09291016.2018.1498231. Email: [email protected]. Marley, J., J. H. Salkeld, T. Hamilton, S. E. Senger, R. C. Tyson, and L. Parrott. 2019. Individual-based modelling of black bear (Ursus americanus) foraging in Whistler, BC: Reducing human-bear interactions. Ecological Modelling 407:108725. DOI: 10.1016/j. ecolmodel.2019.108725. Email: [email protected]. Martin-Wintle, M. S., D. C. Kersey, N. J. Wintle, C. Aitken-Palmer, M. A. Owen, and R. R. Swaisgood. 2019. Comprehensive breeding techniques for the Giant Panda. Pages 275-308 in Reproductive sciences in animal conservation. Springer. MEWADA, T. P., U. L. TIWARI, and A. KOTIA. 2019. Fruiting species influence the seasonal use of the habitat by sloth bear in and around Balaram Ambaji Wildlife Sanctuary, Gujarat, India. Notulae Scientia Biologicae 11:183-190. DOI: 10.15835/nsb11210391. Email: [email protected]. Miyazaki, M., M. Shimozuru, and T. Tsubota. 2019. Skeletal muscles of hibernating black bears show minimal atrophy and pheno- type shifting despite prolonged physical inactivity and starvation. PloS one 14:e0215489. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215489. Email: [email protected]. Moen, G. K., A. Ordiz, J. Kindberg, J. E. Swenson, J. Sundell, and O.-G. Støen. 2019. Behavioral reactions of brown bears to approach- ing humans in Fennoscandia. Écoscience 26:23-33. DOI: 10.1080/11956860.2018.1513387. Email: [email protected]. MOHD-AZLAN, J., M. C. K. YI, B. LIP, and J. HON. 2019. Camera trapping of wildlife in the newly established Baleh National Park, Sarawak. Journal of Sustainability Science and Management 14:51-64. Email: [email protected]. Naing, H., S. Htun, J. Kamler, D. Burnham, and D. Macdonald. 2019. Large carnivores as potential predators of sun bears, including probable predation on a sun bear cub by a leopard in Myanmar. Journal of Wildlife Management. (in press) Niedringhaus, K. D., J. D. Brown, M. Ternent, W. Childress, J. R. Gettings, and M. J. Yabsley. 2019a. The emergence and expansion of sarcoptic mange in American black bears (Ursus americanus) in the United States. Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports 17:100303. DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2019.100303. Email: [email protected]. Niedringhaus, K. D., J. D. Brown, M. A. Ternent, C. A. Cleveland, and M. J. Yabsley. 2019b. A serosurvey of multiple pathogens in American black bears (Ursus americanus) in Pennsylvania, USA indicates a lack of association with sSarcoptic mange. Veterinary Sciences 6:75. DOI: 10.3390/vetsci6040075. Email: [email protected]. Niedringhaus, K. D., J. D. Brown, M. A. Ternent, S. K. Peltier, and M. J. Yabsley. 2019c. Effects of temperature on the survival of Sarcoptes scabiei of black bear (Ursus americanus) origin. Parasitology Research 118:1-6. DOI: 10.1007/s00436-019-06387-7. Email: [email protected].

38 International Bear News Fall 2019, vol. 28 no. 3 Publications Niedziałkowska, M., M. W. Hayward, T. Borowik, W. Jędrzejewski, and B. Jędrzejewska. 2019. A meta-analysis of ungulate predation and prey selection by the brown bear Ursus arctos in Eurasia. Mammal Research 64:1-9. DOI: 10.1007/s13364-018-0396-7. Email: [email protected]. Pappa, S., D. C. Schreve, and F. Rivals. 2019. The bear necessities: a new dental microwear database for the interpretation of palaeodiet in fossil Ursidae. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 514:168-188. DOI: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2018.10.015. Email: [email protected]. Peigné, S., and G. Merceron. 2019. Palaeoecology of cave bears as evidenced by dental wear analysis: a review of methods and recent findings. Historical Biology 31:448-460. DOI: 10.1080/08912963.2017.1351441. Email: stephane [email protected]. Planella, A., J. Jiménez, G. Palomero, F. Ballesteros, J. C. Blanco, and J. V. López-Bao. 2019. Integrating critical periods for bear cub survival into temporal regulations of human activities. Biological Conservation 236:489-495. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2019.05.051. Email: [email protected]. Platonov, N., I. Mizin, E. Ivanov, I. Mordvintsev, S. Naydenko, and V. Rozhnov. 2019. Use by polar bear (Ursus maritimus) of the habitat along coastline throughout the year according to satellite monitoring data. Исследования Земли из Космоса:80-91. DOI: 10.31857/S0205-96142019380-91. Email: [email protected]. Pollock, S. Z., J. Whittington, S. E. Nielsen, and C. C. St Clair. 2019. Spatiotemporal railway use by grizzly bears in Canada’s Rocky Mountains. The Journal of Wildlife management. DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21750. Email: [email protected]. Qiu, L., H. Han, H. Zhou, M. Hong, Z. Zhang, X. Yang, X. Gu, W. Zhang, W. Wei, and Q. Dai. 2019. Disturbance control can effectively restore the habitat of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Biological Conservation 238:108233. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108233. Email: [email protected]. Ramírez-Pedraza, I., S. Pappa, R. Blasco, M. Arilla, J. Rosell, F. Millán, J. Maroto, J. Soler, N. Soler, and F. Rivals. 2019. Dietary habits of the cave bear from the Late Pleistocene in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula. Quaternary International. DOI: 10.1016/j. quaint.2019.09.043. Email: [email protected]. Ran, M.-X., Y.-M. Zhou, K. Liang, W.-C. Wang, Y. Zhang, M. Zhang, J.-D. Yang, G.-B. Zhou, K. Wu, and C.-D. Wang. 2019. Comparative analysis of microRNA and mRNA profiles of sperm with different freeze tolerance capacities in boar (Sus scrofa) and giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Biomolecules 9:432. DOI: 10.3390/biom9090432. Email: [email protected]. Rasphone, A., M. Kéry, J. F. Kamler, and D. W. Macdonald. 2019. Documenting the demise of tiger and leopard, and the status of other carnivores and prey, in Lao PDR’s most prized protected area: Nam et-Phou louey. Global Ecology and Conservation:e00766. DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00766. Email: [email protected]. Rinker, D. C., N. K. Specian, S. Zhao, and J. G. Gibbons. 2019. Polar bear evolution is marked by rapid changes in gene copy number in response to dietary shift. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 116:201901093. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1901093116. Rivrud, I. M., S. C. Frank, R. Bischof, A. Mysterud, S. M. Steyaert, A. G. Hertel, S. B. Hagen, H. G. Eiken, J. E. Swenson, and A. Zedrosser. 2019. Heritability of head size in a hunted large carnivore, the brown bear (Ursus arctos). Evolutionary Applications 12:1124-1135. DOI: 10.1111/eva.12786. Email: [email protected]. Robu, M., J. Wynn, C. M. Puşcaş, I. N. Meleg, J. E. Martin, and S. Constantin. 2019. Palaeoecology and palaeoclimatic context of Romanian Carpathian MIS 3 cave bears using stable isotopes (δ13C and δ18O). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecol- ogy 534:109288. DOI: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2019.109288. Email: [email protected]. Rodríguez, D., A. Reyes, N. Reyes-Amaya, S. Gallegos-Sánchez, J. Gutiérrez, R. Suárez, and F. Prieto. 2019. Northernmost distribution of the Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus) in South America, and fragmentation of its associated Andean forest and Paramo ecosystems. THERYA 10:161-170. DOI: 10.12933/therya-19-756. Email: [email protected]. Sandoval-Guillén, P., and P. Yánez-Moretta. 2019. Biological and ecological aspects of the spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus, Ursidae) in the Ecuadorean Andean zone and conservation perspectives under the landscape species approach. LA GRANJA. Revista de Ciencias de la Vida 30:19-27. DOI: 10.17163/lgr.n30.2019.02. Email: [email protected]. Schubert, B. W., J. C. Chatters, J. Arroyo-Cabrales, J. X. Samuels, L. H. Soibelzon, F. J. Prevosti, C. Widga, A. Nava, D. Rissolo, and P. L. Erreguerena. 2019. Yucatán carnivorans shed light on the Great American Biotic Interchange. Biology letters 15:20190148. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0148. Email: [email protected]. Schweikhard, J., K. Kasper, C. Ebert, M. Lehmann, P. Erbe, and T. Ziegler. 2019. Investigations into the illegal wildlife trade in central Lao PDR. TRAFFIC Bulletin 31:19. Email: [email protected]. Selyari, J., A. E. Rad, M. Naderi, and K. Almasieh. 2019. The re-evalution of Golestan National Park Zoning with a Approach of Species Richness Hotspots, Iran. Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity 3:1-11. DOI: 10.22120/jwb.2019.105061.1059. Email: j-wildlife@araku. ac.ir. Setiawan, D., E. Patriono, H. Marisa, A. Setiawan, I. Yustian, and M. Iqbal. 2019. Inventory of wildlife in the protected forest area Bukit Jambul Gunung Patah as basic data to support sustainable management. IOP Publishing Shabi-Ul-Hassan Kazmi, S., R. Minhas, B. Ahmad, M. Awan, S. Abbasi, U. Ali, U. Shakeel, and N. Dar. 2019. Crop raiding by Himalayan black bear: A major cause of human-bear conflict in Machiara National Park, Pakistan. JAPS: Journal of Animal & Plant Sciences 29.

International Bear News Fall 2019 vol. 28 no. 3 39 Publications Shen, X., S. Li, W. J. McShea, D. Wang, J. Yu, X. Shi, W. Dong, X. Mi, and K. Ma. 2019. Evaluating the effectiveness of using flagship species as umbrellas for zone designations in China’s nature reserves. Conservation Biology. DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13345. Email: kpma@ ibcas.ac.cn. Shirane, Y., M. Shimozuru, M. Yamanaka, H. Tsuruga, M. Nakanishi, T. Ishinazaka, T. Nose, S. Kasai, M. Shirayanagi, and Y. Masuda. 2019. Sex-biased dispersal and inbreeding avoidance in Hokkaido brown bears. Journal of Mammalogy. DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/ gyz097. Email: [email protected]. Siegal-Willott, J. L., K. L. Bauer, L.-A. C. Hayek, N. M. Luensman, T. N. Cross, J. L. Sajecki, and D. L. McRuer. 2019. Comparison of isoflurane gas versus a guaifensin, ketamine, and medetomidine constant-rate infusion for maintenance anesthesia in American black bears (Ursus americanus). Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 50:570-578. DOI: 10.1638/2018-0124. Sienkiewicz, T., A. Sergiel, D. Huber, R. Maślak, M. Wrzosek, P. Podgórski, S. Reljić, and Ł. Paśko. 2019. The brain anatomy of the brown bear (Carnivora, Ursus arctos L., 1758) compared to that of other carnivorans: a cross-sectional study using MRI. Frontiers in Neuroanatomy 13. DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2019.00079. Email: [email protected]. Simpson, M. 2019. Polar bear sports hunting: Canada’s flawed interpretation of the International Polar Bear Agreement. Journal of International Wildlife Law & Policy 22:145-158. DOI: 10.1080/13880292.2019.1654198. Smith, T. G., and I. Stirling. 2019. Predation of harp seals, Pagophilus groenlandicus, by polar bears, Ursus maritimus, in Svalbard. ARCTIC 72:197-202. DOI: 10.14430/arctic68186. Smith, T. S., S. C. Amstrup, J. Kirschhoffer, and G. York. 2019. Efficacy of aerial forward-looking infrared surveys for detecting polar bear maternal dens. bioRxiv:763144. DOI: 10.1101/763144. Email: [email protected]. St. Clair, C. C., J. Backs, A. Friesen, A. Gangadharan, P. Gilhooly, M. Murray, and S. Pollock. 2019. Animal learning may contribute to both problems and solutions for wildlife–train collisions. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 374:20180050. DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0050. Email: [email protected]. Stetz, J. B., M. S. Mitchell, and K. C. Kendall. 2019. Using spatially-explicit capture–recapture models to explain variation in seasonal density patterns of sympatric ursids. Ecography 42:237-248. DOI: 10.1111/ecog.03556. Email: [email protected]. Steyaert, S. M., A. G. Hertel, and J. E. Swenson. 2019. Endozoochory by brown bears stimulates germination in bilberry. Wildlife Biology 2019. DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00573. Email: [email protected]. Su, J., L. Li, Y. Wang, X.-x. Ma, Z. Ma, M. P. Peppelenbosch, Q. Pan, and X. Bai. 2019. Seasonal analysis of the gut microbiota in adult and young captive Asian black bears in northeast China. Animal Biology 1:1-11. DOI: 10.1163/15707563-20191054. Tammeleht, E., A. Kull, and K. Pärna. 2019. Assessing the importance of protected areas in human-dominated lowland for brown bear (Ursus arctos) winter denning. Mammal Research:1-11. DOI: 10.1007/s13364-019-00447-0. Email: [email protected]. Taylor, D., D. Hartmann, G. Dezecache, S. Te Wong, and M. Davila-Ross. 2019. Facial complexity in sun bears: exact facial mimicry and social sensitivity. Scientific Reports 9:4961. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39932-6. Email: [email protected]. Tomita, K., and T. Hiura. 2019. Brown bear digging for cicada nymphs: a novel interaction in a forest ecosystem. Ecology. DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2899. Email: [email protected]. Torii, Y., N. Matsumoto, H. Sakamoto, M. Nagano, S. Katagiri, and Y. Yanagawa. 2019. Monitoring follicular dynamics using ultra- sonography in captive brown bears (Ursus arctos) during the breeding season. Theriogenology 140:164-170. DOI: 10.1016/j. theriogenology.2019.08.027. Email: [email protected]. Tumendemberel, O., A. Zedrosser, M. F. Proctor, H. V. Reynolds, J. R. Adams, J. M. Sullivan, S. J. Jacobs, T. Khorloojav, T. Tserenbataa, and M. Batmunkh. 2019. Phylogeography, genetic diversity, and connectivity of brown bear populations in Central Asia. PloS one 14:e0220746. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220746. Email: [email protected]. van Heteren, A. H., M. Arlegi, E. Santos, J.-L. Arsuaga, and A. Gómez-Olivencia. 2019. Cranial and mandibular morphology of Middle Pleistocene cave bears (Ursus deningeri): implications for diet and evolution. Historical Biology 31:485-499. DOI: 10.1080/08912963.2018.1487965. Email: [email protected]. Van Horn, R. C., M. Sutherland-Smith, A. E. Bracho Sarcos, G. Thomas, J. A. Shanks, and M. A. Owen. 2019. The Andean bear alopecia syndrome may be caused by social housing. Zoo biology:434-441. DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21512. Email: [email protected]. Veitschegger, K., C. Kolb, E. Amson, and M. R. Sánchez-Villagra. 2019. Longevity and life history of cave bears–a review and novel data from tooth cementum and relative emergence of permanent dentition. Historical Biology 31:510-516. DOI: 10.1080/08912963.2018.1441293. Email: [email protected]. Vitásková, E., L. Molnár, I. Holko, P. Supuka, L. Černíková, E. Bártová, and K. Sedlák. 2019. Serologic survey of selected viral pathogens in free-ranging Eurasian brown bears (Ursus arctos arctos) from Slovakia. Journal of wildlife diseases 55:499-503. DOI: 10.7589/2017-11-290. Email: [email protected]. Wang, W., L. Yang, T. Wronski, S. Chen, Y. Hu, and S. Huang. 2019a. Captive breeding of wildlife resources—China’s revised supply- side approach to conservation. Wildlife Society Bulletin. DOI: 10.1002/wsb.988. Email: [email protected]. Wang, X., J. Huang, T. A. Connor, W. Bai, J. Zhang, W. Wei, Z. Zhang, D. Liu, and C. Zhou. 2019b. Impact of livestock grazing on biodiversity and giant panda habitat. The Journal of Wildlife Management. DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21743. Email: [email protected]. Wang, Y.-C., M.-L. Wang, J.-C. Guo, Y.-H. Lai, P.-J. Wang, W.-Z. Sun, and C.-H. Huang. 2019c. Transesophageal Echocardiography Examination in Ailuropoda melanoleuca. Asian Journal of Anesthesiology 2019:1-6. DOI: 10.6859/aja.201903_57(1).0002.

40 International Bear News Fall 2019, vol. 28 no. 3 IBA Officers & Council Watson, S. E., H. C. Hauffe, M. J. Bull, T. C. Atwood, M. A. McKinney, M. Pindo, and S. E. Perkins. 2019. Global change-driven use of onshore habitat impacts polar bear faecal microbiota. The ISME Journal:1-11. DOI: 10.1038/s41396-019-0480-2. Welfelt, L. S., R. A. Beausoleil, and R. B. Wielgus. 2019. Factors associated with black bear density and implications for management. The Journal of Wildlife Management. DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21744. Email: [email protected]. Wilson, K. S., J. Wauters, I. Valentine, A. McNeilly, S. Girling, R. Li, D. Li, H. Zhang, M. T. Rae, and F. Howie. 2019. Urinary estrogens as a non-invasive biomarker of viable pregnancy in the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Scientific Reports 9:1-9. DOI: 10.1038/ s41598-019-49288-6. Email: [email protected]. Wolfe, L. L., M. E. Wood, M. C. Fisher, and M. A. Sirochman. 2019. Evaluation of chemical immobilization in captive black bears (Ursus americanus) receiving a combination of nalbuphine, medetomidine, and azaperone. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 55:84-90. DOI: 10.7589/2018-03-079. Email: [email protected]. Wong, S. T., J. L. Belant, R. Sollmann, A. Mohamed, J. Niedballa, J. Mathai, G. M. Street, and A. Wilting. 2019. Influence of body mass, sociality, and movement behavior on improved detection probabilities when using a second camera trap. Global Ecology and Conservation:e00791. DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00791. Email: [email protected]. Wright, H. L., A. V. Chen, and H. T. Jansen. 2019. Composition of cerebrospinal fluid in clinically normal grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis). Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 50:739-741. DOI: 10.1638/2018-0231. Xiong, L., X. Ni, L. Niu, Y. Zhou, Q. Wang, A. Khalique, Q. Liu, Y. Zeng, G. Shu, and K. Pan. 2019. Isolation and preliminary screening of a Weissella confusa strain from Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins 11:1-10. DOI: 10.1007/s12602-018-9402-2. Email: [email protected]. Yadav, V. K., D. Chauhan, and P. Lakhera. 2019a. Occurrence and feeding habit of Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) in Nanda Devi biosphere reserve, Uttarakhand, India. Yadav, V. K., P. Chauhan, D. Chauhan, S. Mahato, and A. K. Jayant. 2019b. Status of large mammalian species in Urgam beat of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (NDBR), Uttarakhand, India. Yao, R., L. Xu, T. Hu, H. Chen, D. Qi, X. Gu, X. Yang, Z. Yang, and L. Zhu. 2019a. The “wildness” of the giant panda gut microbiome and its relevance to effective translocation. Global Ecology and Conservation 18. DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00644. Email: 81623478@ qq.com. Yao, R., Z. Yang, Z. Zhang, T. Hu, H. Chen, F. Huang, X. Gu, X. Yang, G. Lu, and L. Zhu. 2019b. Are the gut microbial systems of giant pandas unstable? Heliyon 5:e02480. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02480. Email: [email protected]. You, Y., C. Bai, X. Liu, M. Xia, T. Jia, X. Li, C. Zhang, Y. Chen, S. Zhao, and L. Wang. 2019. Genome-wide analysis of methylation in giant pandas with cataract by methylation-dependent restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (MethylRAD). PloS one 14:e0222292. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222292. Email: [email protected]. Zeller, K. A., D. W. Wattles, L. Conlee, and S. DeStefano. 2019. Black bears alter movements in response to anthropogenic features with time of day and season. Movement Ecology 7:19. DOI: 10.1186/s40462-019-0166-4. Email: [email protected]. Zhang, Y., X. Liu, Z. Lv, X. Zhao, X. Yang, X. Jia, W. Sun, X. He, B. He, and Q. Cai. 2019. Animal diversity responding to different forest restoration schemes in the Qinling Mountains, China. Ecological Engineering 136:23-29. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2019.05.020. Email: [email protected]. Zhao, D., J. Wang, W. Chen, C. Zhang, and P. Peng. 2019a. How potassium content in soil shapes giant panda distribution. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies 28. DOI: 10.15244/pjoes/81685. Email: [email protected]. Zhao, S., C. Li, G. Li, S. Yang, Y. Zhou, Y. He, D. Wu, Y. Zhou, W. Zeng, and T. Li. 2019b. Comparative analysis of gut microbiota among the male, female and pregnant giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Open Life Sciences 14:288-298. DOI: 10.1515/biol-2019- 0032. Email: [email protected].

International Bear News Fall 2019 vol. 28 no. 3 41 IBA Officers & Council Executive Council Members

President, Andreas Zedrosser (Norway) Councillor, Nishith Dharaiya (India) University of South-Eastern Norway HNG University Dept of Life Sciences +47.3595.2765 [email protected] +91.999.898.1560 Term Ends: 09.January.2020 nishith.dharaiya@ bearbiology.org Term Ends: 09.January.2020 Vice President Americas, Marty Obbard (Canada) Ontario of Natural Resources Councillor, Yoshikazu Sato (Japan) +1.705.755.1549 [email protected] Rakuno Gakuen University Term Ends: 09.January.2020 +81.113.88.4602 [email protected] Term Ends: 09.January.2020 Vice President Eurasia, Mei-Hsui Hwang (Taiwan) National Pingtung University of Science & Technology Councillor, Gordon Stenhouse (Canada) +886.8.7740416 meihsui.hwang@ bearbiology.org fRI Research Term Ends: 09.January.2021 +1.780.865.8388 [email protected] Term Ends: 09.January.2021 Past-President, Karen Noyce (United States) Retired-Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Councillor, Shyamala Ratnayeke (Malaysia) +1.218.259.6686 [email protected] Sunway University Department of Biological Sciences Term Ends: 09.January.2020 +60.3.7491.8622 (x7177) [email protected] Term Ends: 09.January.2020 Secretary, Alexander Kopatz (Norway) Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) Councillor, Marta De Barba (France) +47.4513.2514 [email protected] Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine (LECA) Term Ends: 09.January.2021 +33.778574551 [email protected] Term Ends: 09.January.2021 Treasurer, Jennifer Fortin-Noreus (United States) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Councillor, Agnieszka Sergiel (Poland) +1.406.243.4994 [email protected] Institute of Nature Conservation Polish Academy of Sciences Term Ends: 09.January.2020 +48.12.370.35.64 [email protected] Term Ends: 09.January.2021 Ex-Officio Members

Ursus Editor, Jon Swenson (Norway) IUCN Bear Specialist Group Co-chair, Dave Garshelis (United Email: [email protected] States) +1.218.328.8874 [email protected] Bear Conservation Fund Chair, Julia Bevins (United States) +1.907.223.3483 [email protected] IUCN Bear Specialist Group Co-chair, Rob Steinmetz (Thailand) IBN Editor, Mark Edwards (Canada) +66.2.942.7691 [email protected] +1.825.458.6177 [email protected] IUCN Polar Bear Specialist Group, Dag Vongraven (Norway) Student Representative, Amy Macleod (Canada) +47.7.775.0638 [email protected] [email protected] IUCN IUCN Red List Authority Focal Point, Bruce McLellan Webmaster, Nadine Bechstein (Germany) (Canada) [email protected] +1.604.452.3233 [email protected]

Director of Transition, Jennapher Teunissen van Manen (United States) +1.530.379.5476 [email protected]

42 International Bear News Fall 2019, vol. 28 no. 3 BSG Expert Team Chairs BSG Co-Chairs Dave Garshelis Email: [email protected] Rob Steinmetz Email: [email protected]

BSG Deputy Chair Michael Proctor Email: [email protected]

Red List Authority Focal Point Bruce McLellan Email: [email protected]

European Brown Bear Expert Team Co-chairs Giant Panda Expert Team Co-chairs Djuro Huber Ron Swaisgood Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Jon Swenson Dajun Wang Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Asian Brown Bear Expert Team Co-chairs Andean Bear Expert Team Co-chairs Stefan Michel Ximena Velez-Liendo Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Bruce McLellan Russ Van Horn Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Michael Proctor Human-Bear Conflicts Expert Team Co-chairs Email: [email protected] Lana Ciarniello Asiatic Black Bear Expert Team Co-chairs Email: [email protected] Dave Garshelis John Beecham Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Matt Hunt Captive Bears Expert Team Co-chairs Email: [email protected] Lydia Kolter Sun Bear Expert Team Co-chairs Email: [email protected] Nicola Field Gabriella Fredriksson Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Rob Steinmetz Email: [email protected]

Sloth Bear Expert Team Co-chairs Harendra Bargali Email: [email protected] Nishith Dharaiya Email: [email protected]

International Bear News Fall 2019 vol. 28 no. 3 43 International Bear News Distribution c/o International Association for Bear Research and Management Jennapher Teunissen van Manen 907 Jessie Way Bozeman Bozeman, MT 59715 USA ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Update Your Contact Information at: www.bearbiology.org

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 open to professional biologists, wildlife managers, and others dedicated to the conservation of all bear species. The organization has approxmi- ately 500 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 transla- tion 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 funding, knowledge of geographical areas, or expertise in scientific or non-scientific sectors.

Deadline for the Spring 2020 issue is 5 February 2020