Noninvasive Approaches to Reduce Human-Cougar Conflict in Protected Areas on the West Coast of Vancouver Island by Danielle M. Thompson B.Sc. (Wildlife Management), University of Northern British Columbia, 2001 A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE In the Department of Biology © Danielle M. Thompson, 2010 University of Victoria All rights reserved. This thesis may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission by the author ii Supervisory Committee Noninvasive Approaches to Reduce Human-Cougar Conflict in Protected Areas on the West Coast of Vancouver Island By Danielle M. Thompson B.Sc. (Wildlife Management), University of Northern British Columbia, 2001 Supervisory Committee Dr. Don Eastman, (Department of Biology) Co-Supervisor Dr. Patrick Gregory (Department of Biology) Co-Supervisor Dr. Peter Keller (Department of Geography) Outside Member Dr. Alton Harestad (Simon Fraser University) Additional Member iii Abstract Supervisory Committee Dr. Don Eastman, (Department of Biology) Co-Supervisor Dr. Patrick Gregory (Department of Biology) Co-Supervisor Dr. Peter Keller (Department of Geography) Outside Member Dr. Alton Harestad (Simon Fraser University) Additional Member Cougars (Puma concolor) are a growing concern for managers of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Since the mid-1990s, the frequency and intensity of human-cougar interactions have dramatically increased. Concurrently, these areas have become increasingly popular for human activities. The primary goal of my study was to recommend ways to reduce the potential risk of human-cougar interactions to ensure long-term conservation of cougars while minimizing risks to visitor safety. To achieve this goal, I examined the use of two noninvasive approaches. Firstly, during 2005-2006, I compared the rate of detection, cost and time required for a detector dog, sign surveys, scented rub pads and remotely triggered cameras to detect cougars in coastal temperate rainforests. Sign surveys were the most effective method due to the availability of good tracking substrate throughout the study areas. Cameras were also practical because they could be used by less skilled personnel and had the capacity to detect several species of wildlife. Secondly, I demonstrated the utility of pre-existing data by analysing the spatiotemporal trends of human-cougar interactions on the West Coast Trail from 1993- 2006. My results showed a moderate increase of reported human-cougar interactions (n = 157) despite a steady decline in hiker numbers across these years. Additionally, I iv identified four areas where activities of people and cougars repeatedly overlapped (hotspots). In general, interaction locations were primarily associated with high human activity: near campsites and landscape characteristics that were associated with campsites (i.e., beaches and freshwater drainages >20 m wide). However, the distribution of hotspots suggests that the co-occurrence of human-use areas (e.g., campsites) and important travel routes (e.g., freshwater drainages and logging roads) used by cougars may increase the likelihood of interactions. These findings will allow protected area managers to proactively mitigate human-cougar conflict through visitor education and protocols that reduce people and cougars from intersecting in space and time. v Table of Contents Supervisory Committee ...................................................................................................... ii Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iii Table of Contents ................................................................................................................ v List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures ................................................................................................................... vii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ ix Dedication .......................................................................................................................... xi Chapter 1: General Introduction ......................................................................................... 1 Overview ......................................................................................................................... 1 Background ..................................................................................................................... 6 Rationale ......................................................................................................................... 8 Goal and Objectives ...................................................................................................... 11 Chapter 2: Study Area ....................................................................................................... 12 Ecological Setting ......................................................................................................... 12 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve............................................................................... 16 Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve........................................................... 19 Study Areas ................................................................................................................... 20 Chapter 3: Efficacy of Noninvasive Survey Methods to Detect Cougars in Coastal Temperate Rainforests ...................................................................................................... 24 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 24 Methods......................................................................................................................... 28 Results ........................................................................................................................... 36 Discussion ..................................................................................................................... 47 Chapter 4: Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Human-Cougar Interactions on the West Coast Trail ......................................................................................................................... 53 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 53 Methods......................................................................................................................... 56 Results ........................................................................................................................... 68 Discussion ..................................................................................................................... 81 Chapter 5: Summary and Conclusions .............................................................................. 90 Management Implications ............................................................................................. 94 Recommendations for Future Research ........................................................................ 96 Literature Cited ................................................................................................................. 98 vi List of Tables Table 3.1 Comparison of detection rate, field time requirements and equipment costs for species detected by a scat detection dog, sign surveys, scented rub pads and remotely triggered cameras in the Long Beach and West Coast Trail study areas in 2005 and 2006. 46 Table 4.1 Descriptions of ecotypes identified within the West Coast Trail study area. 63 Table 4.2 Numbers of human-cougar interaction reports in the West Coast Trail study area from 1993 – 2006 removed from analyses by omission type. 69 Table 4.3 Relationships between ecotypes and human-cougar interactions (n = 157) that occurred during 1993 – 2006 in the West Coast Trail study area. 72 Table 4.4 Relationships between „on trail‟ and „off trail‟ slope (degrees) and human-cougar interactions (n = 157) that occurred during 1993 – 2006 in the West Coast Trail study area. 73 Table 4.5 Relationships between average linear distance (km) to the nearest freshwater drainage <10, 10-20, and >20 m in width and human-cougar interactions (n = 157) that occurred during 1993 – 2006 in the West Coast Trail study area. 75 Table 4.6 Relationships between average linear distance (km) to the nearest campsite and human-cougar interactions (n = 157) that occurred during 1993 – 2006 in the West Coast Trail study area. 76 Table 4.7 Relationships between average linear distance (km) to the nearest viewpoint and human-cougar interactions (n = 157) that occurred during 1993 – 2006 in the West Coast Trail study area. 77 Table 4.8 Relationships between average linear distance (km) to the nearest road and human-cougar interactions (n = 157) that occurred during 1993 – 2006 in the West Coast Trail study area. 78 Table 4.9 Relationships between the average numbers of hikers per month and human-cougar interactions (n = 157) that occurred during 1993 – 2006 in the West Coast Trail study area. 80 vii List of Figures Figure