International Bear News Quarterly Newsletter of the International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA) and the IUCN/SSC Bear Specialist Group November 2008 Vol. 17 no. 4 © Animals Asia Foundation Animals Asia Foundation is working to end the horrific bear bile milking industry in China and Vietnam. When “Jasper” came to Animals Asia’s China sanctuary in 2001, he was very thin, much of his hair was missing from years of rubbing against his cage, his teeth were badly worn from bar biting, and he had a metal catheter implanted in his abdomen. He was cut from a “crush cage” where he had spent 15 years. After surgery, months of rehabilitation, tasty food, and tender loving care, this bear is now healthy, energetic, and appears to be enjoying life. See the full story on page 7. IBA websites: www.bearbiology.org www.bearbiology.com Ursus website: www.ursusjournal.com Table of Contents Council News Captive Bears 3 From the President 22 Joint Disease and Its Management in 4 Research and Conservation Grants Captive Bear Species 4 IBA Experience and Exchange Grants Student Forum Opinion 25 Students: Sign up Now for the Truman 5 Berries, Nuts ‘n’ Grubs Google List Serve 6 Climate Change and Bears – Where is the IBA? Bears in Culture 26 Book Review: Bears: A Brief History Bear Specialist Group 7 Animals Asia’s Rescue of Farmed Bears Publications 9 Inventory of Captive Ursids 27 Recent Bear Literature: November 2008 9 Report from the Captive Bear Expert Team Events 11 Bear Conservation in Hukaung Tiger 27 20th Eastern Black Bear Workshop: Reserve, Myanmar Announcement and Call for Papers 12 Is Animal Welfare Conservation? 28 10th Western Black Bear Workshop Americas IBA 14 The Andean Bear in the World View of 29 IBA Membership Application the South American Andes 31 IBA Publications Order Form 15 The Juco Project: advances in 32 IBA Officers & Council determining the presence of the Andean 33 IBA Mission Statement Bear in Argentina 16 Presence of the Andean Bear in the Mountain Forest and “Pajonal” in Luya, Amazonas, Northeastern Perú 17 Southwest U.S.A. and Mexico 2008 Election Supplement 19 Northern Divide Grizzly Bear Project located between pages 16 & 17, Releases Results at the centerfold 21 Northeastern United States and Eastern E1 Election Supplement Table of Contents Canada E2 IBA Candidate Statements 21 Northeast Black Bear Technical E5 Bylaw Amendments Committee Annual Meeting Cover photo courtesy of Animals Asia Foundation. International Bear News, ISSN #1064-1564, quarterly newsletter of the International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA) Editors: Matt Durnin (Managing), Jordan Schaul (Correspondence), Janissa Balcomb (Layout), Jim Tomlin (Production/Distribution), Tanya Rosen (Translation) PO Box 462, Brookeville MD 20833 USA, Phone: +1 415-321-8369, Fax: +1 415-321-8637 Email: [email protected], Websites: www.bearbiology.com www.bearbiology.org Back issues are available at www.bearbiology.com Editorial Policy International Bear News welcomes articles about biology, conservation, and management of the world’s eight bear species. Submissions of about 750 words are preferred, and photos, drawings, and charts are appreciated. Submissions to [email protected] are preferred; otherwise, mail or fax to the address above. IBA reserves the right to accept, reject, and edit submissions. Deadline for the February 2009 issue is January 5, 2009 Thank you to everyone who contributed to this issue. Artwork is copyrighted – do not reproduce without permission. Membership Use the form on page 29 to order or renew memberships, make donations, and/or update member information. 2 International Bear News November 2008, vol. 17 no. 4 Council News committed substantial effort to this. a factor in choosing Georgia as the From the President As a result, I believe visitors and recre- host of the 2009 IBA Conference. ationists in our area have gained a Despite those good intentions, no Frank T. van Manen better understanding of bear behavior one could have predicted the events U.S. Geological Survey and I hope this increased awareness in August, in which Russian troops University of Tennessee prevented this bear attack from being entered 2 regions of Georgia, south Dept. of Forestry, Wildlife and much worse. I am using this example Ossetia and Abkhazia. Following Fisheries to make the point that how we deal the news of the conflict, we were in 274 Ellington PSB with human-bear conflicts is critical contact with the Georgian organizers Knoxville TN 37996, USA for bear conservation throughout the to gauge the situation. After an initial Email: [email protected] world; the larger lesson is that we can- assessment from the conference or- not be complacent about this topic. ganizers, Council decided to wait for It has been a busy summer for 6 weeks before making any decision bears and bear biologists around regarding the feasibility of hosting the here. Bears are frequently in the news Elections conference, while exploring options and sometimes more than we want. In this issue of International Bear for alternative dates or venues. Dur- Numerous incidents involving black News, you will find a ballot for the ing that time the situation calmed bears were reported throughout the IBA elections and for ratification of down substantially although some southern Appalachians and several hit the interim bylaws that council voted uncertainty remains about funding close to home. In one case, an 8-year- on last March in preparation for IBA’s and attendance if the conference is old boy from Florida was attacked by a incorporation filing. Although our to be held a year from now. At the black bear in Great Smoky Mountains intention was to send a separate ballot time of this writing, Council had not National Park but survived without at an earlier date, we decided that it yet made a decision so please check serious injuries. The incident was was much more economic to include the IBA website for the most recent serious because it had many elements the ballot with this newsletter. This updates on the Georgia conference. of a predatory attack. The father and caused a slight delay of the deadline brother of the boy responded quickly for the votes (see enclosed ballot). th and effectively and twice pulled the Your votes for the council positions IBA’s 40 Birthday? bear away from him. Fortunately, the and the Bylaw ratification are very Some of you may have wondered bear was only 40 kg. After several important so please take the time to whether we should be celebrating th similar incidents in our region in vote. And please return the ballot as IBA’s 40 anniversary this year. I add- recent years, including 2 human fatali- soon as you receive this issue, this is ed a question mark to the subheading ties in 2000 and in 2006, much media particularly important for those of you because there is some contention attention was given to this incident. outside of North America. regarding the official founding date of Journalists started asking whether the IBA. Some count the first, informal behavior of bears was changing, mak- Georgia Conference meeting of 49 North American bear ing bears more inclined to attack. It I’m sure many of you have followed biologists in Whitehorse, Yukon in is a reasonable and innocent question the news from Georgia and wondered 1968 as the beginning of our organiza- but the implications would be far- whether IBA will be able to host the tion. However, the reality is that the reaching if this were the case, particu- conference there a year from now. concept of a formal organization was rd larly in areas with high bear densities First, on behalf of the IBA Council, not conceived until the 3 Inter- and high human visitation. However, let me express my deepest concerns national Bear Conference in Bing- simple statistics may provide a more for all those people who have been hampton, New York in 1974. Some logical explanation: with greater black affected by this conflict. For many well-known bear biologists present bear densities in the region over the of us these types of situations are far at that conference, including Chuck past 30 years and increasing recre- from the reality of our daily lives and Jonkel, Jack Lentfer, Mike Pelton, ational use, the likelihood of these it is easy to forget the real tragedies and John and Frank Craighead, had a aberrant encounters may simply be behind the stories we hear and see in ‘hallway discussion’ in which the idea increasing. Of course, the message for the news. When Council examines of a formal ”Bear Biology Association” bear biologists and resource managers bids for hosting conferences, an (BBA) was formed. The first Council is to be prepared for this and increase important consideration is whether an meeting, however, was not held public awareness of bear behavior and IBA conference can raise the profile until 1977, at the Kalispell, Montana explain how to respond to different for bear conservation in a particular meeting. Chuck Jonkel was elected as types of bear encounters. Resource country or region. This was certainly the first president of the BBA (in 1983 management agencies in our area have renamed to International Association for Bear Research and Management or International Bear News November 2008, vol. 17 no. 4 3 Council News IBA) at the membership meeting on This book picks up where Edward 22 February 1977. Research and Tufte leaves off. The author is a Regardless of whether 1968 or 1977 Conservation Grants proven professional in the field of is the true founding year of IBA, we designing effective presentations. have a long history. Maybe I am just Fred Dean, Program Chair The layout is creative and right to the getting old but there is something Email: [email protected] point.