EXPERIENCESWITH TRAPPING, CHEMICAL IMMOBILIZATION, AND RADIOTAGGINGOF BROWNBEARS IN SLOVENIA

PETRAKACZENSKY,1 Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management at theAgricultural University of Vienna,Peter Jordan Strasse76, A-1190Vienna, FELIXKNAUER,2 Wildlife Research and Management Unit, Technische Universitat MOnchen, Linderhof 2, D-82488Ettal, Germany MARKOJONOZOVIC,3 Slovenian Hunters Association, Zupanciceva 9, SLO-1000Ljubljana, Slovenia CHRISWALZER, , Morzgerstrasse 1, A-5081Anif, Austria, e-mail: [email protected] THOMASHUBER,4 Institute of WildlifeBiology and Game Management at the AgriculturalUniversity of Vienna,Peter Jordan Strasse76, A-1190Vienna, Austria

Abstract: Wildlife researchon brown bears (Ursus arctos) and other shy, nocturnal,or forest dwelling animals with large ranges has improved enormously with the help of radiotelemetry.However, in the small and threatenedbear populationsof centraland southernEurope, accidents that may injure or kill a bear during trapping,immobilization, and radiotaggingare a major concern to bear conservationistsand animal protection groups. Much informationand experience is availablefrom bear work in NorthAmerica, but some of the techniquesdo not seem to be appropriate or acceptablefor bear populationsin Europe. We describe our experienceswith trapping,chemical restraint,and radiotaggingof 25 differentbears during 31 captureevents in a researchproject in Slovenia, 1993-98. Focus is on safety considerationsfor trapping,chemical immobilization,and radiotaggingof bears, and also on minimizingrisk for the captureteam and local people frequentingthe vicinity of the trapsites. The use of Aldrich foot snares proved to be a reasonablyefficient (0.72 bears/100 trapnights), selective (only 3 non-targetspecies captured),and safe (only 2 minor capture related injuries) method to capture bears on forested range. We conclude that it is most importantto use a trap transmittersystem in combinationwith a carefullydesigned traparrangement to guaranteethat handling of bears startswithin 1-2 hoursof initial capture. In addition,the captureteam needs to be well trainedin the theoreticaland practicalaspects of trapping,immobilization, and radiomarkingof brown bears.

Ursus13:347-356 (2002)

Key words: animal welfare, brownbear, chemical immobilization,public safety, radiomarking,Slovenia, trapping,Ursus arctos

Wildlife researchon brown bears and other shy, noc- navian brown bears: progressreport, Hedmark College, turnal or forest dwelling animals with large ranges has Koppang,Norway]). However,these techniqueshave be- improvedenormously with the help of radiotelemetry.A come more importantfor researchand management in the majordrawback to most researchis the need to trap,im- past years. By the year 2000, the Scandinavianbrown mobilize, and radiotagbears, which holds a certain risk bear projecthad handledbears more than 755 times (A. for the bears and people involved (Jonkel 1993). Espe- Soderberg,Swedish Association for Hunting and Wild- cially in the small andthreatened bear populations of cen- life Management,Uppsala, Sweden, personalcommuni- tral and southernEurope, research-related accidents that cation,2000). New researchprojects using telemetryhave may injureor kill a bear are a majorconcern to bear con- startedin several other Europeancountries, e.g., central servationists and animal rights groups. The European Italy (Gentile et al. 1996), Greece (Y. Mertzanis, 1999, Flora Fauna Habitat (FFH) guidelines (Council of the Homeranges and movements of brownbears in the Pindos EuropeanUnion 1992) and the Bern Convention(Coun- range,Greece, LIFE-NatureProject ARCTOS, ARCTU- cil of Europe 1979), as well as nationallegislation in sev- RUS, Thessaloniki, Greece), Spain (A. Fernandez, J. eral countries (e.g., Austria, Germany), have great Naves, C. Villalba, and M. Delibes, 1999, Forest frag- reservationsabout the use of snaresbeca