International Bear News Quarterly Newsletter of the International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA) and the IUCN/SSC Bear Specialist Group May 2003 vol. 12, no. 2 Council News 2 From the President: International Concerns, San Diego Meetings, Students & San Diego, Slovenia Hunting & U.S. Bear Baiting, IBA & BSG 4 IBA Elections: Call for Nominations 5 Ursus Website & Volume 14 6 IBA Grants Program Report Eurasia 7 The Sun & Moon in Thailand 8 The Sad State of Sun & Moon Bears in Vietnam 9 Sun Bear Research on the Web 10 The Geographical Ecology of the Kamchatka Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) 11 Cubs in Sweden on Internet North America 11 Fischbach New Kodiak Bear Biologist 11 Alaska Bear Festival a Success 12 North Pacific Rim Brown Bear Management 14 Oregon Bear Hunting 14 Bear Shepherds in the North Cascades 16 Be Bear Aware Campaign 16 Panel Endorses British Columbia Grizzly Bear Conservation 17 Louisiana Black Bear Restoration 17 Florida Update 19 SABBSG Plans Regional DNA Sampling 19 17th Eastern Black Bear Workshop Summary Rehabilitation 20 Rehabilitation & Release of Two Black Bears, Alberta, Canada 21 Brown Bear Rehabilitation at Toropetsky Biological Station Student Forum 24 Truman—Student List Serve & Truman Lives! 24 Drinking From a Different Well, Funding Your Project Bears in Culture 26 Hopi & Bears Publications 28 Ursus Website & Volume 14 28 Bear Action Plan PDF 29 Resolution of the Second Brown & Asian Bear Symposium Information Please 28 Need Brown Bear Images Events 30 15th IBA Conference: Call for Papers IBA 32 IBA Contact Information 33 IBA Membership Application 35 IBA Publications Order Form Back Cover About IBA & Mission Statement IBA website: www.bearbiology.org/www.bearbiology.com Council News From the President Harry Reynolds ideas with us. Ways to achieve more between our two organizations. Alaska Department of Fish and Game diverse representation in the Council Money raised by the students will 1300 College Road can be accomplished through the help subsidize future attendance to Fairbanks, AK 99701, USA electoral process, through appoint- conferences and IBA memberships Phone (907) 459-7238 ments, or a combination of the two. for those who cannot afford them. Fax (907) 451-9723 Again, think about this during the Donations can include the opportu- Email upcoming nominations and voting nity to accompany field researchers [email protected] process (see page 4). during den examination or to work The cost of IBA membership can be with positive reinforcement of Looking out my window in Alaska, prohibitively high in many countries. captive bears to gather physiological the first Canada geese are arriving It is often only through donations data. Keep this in mind when after an absence of almost seven from you that membership is possible students ask for donations. months, and I just watched a red fox for many people (use the form on page prance by in the field next door. The 33 to donate a membership). Electronic Newsletter snow is melting and adult male We received only 11 responses to brown bears have been out of their San Diego Meetings the question about providing the dens for several weeks. By the time Workshops sponsored by the newsletter in PDF format. Therefore, you read this, last year’s pregnant American Zoo and Aquarium Asso- we will continue to offer hard copy. females will have emerged from ciation Bear Taxon Advisory Group Back issues of the newsletter are available seven months in winter dens fol- and an inter-agency group to address as PDFs at www.bearbiology.com. lowed by tiny cubs. Life is good for bear-human conflicts will be held bears in my world. immediately prior to the 15th IBA Slovenia Hunting & Life is not as good for bears in many conference in San Diego, February U.S. Bear Baiting other habitats around the world. IBA 2004 (see page 30). Exchange IBA Council recently provided members dedicate their lives to between captive and wild bear written testimony on two conserva- conserve what is left of bear habitat research has been underutilized and tion issues. IBA encouraged the and to ensure that future generations offers advantages to both disci- government of Slovenia, through the of bears remain integral parts of plines—consider exploring what European Union, to reconsider a ecosystems where they now exist. This each has to offer and how it might plan that sets brown bear harvests is our charge and ethical responsibility benefit your individual interests. too high. The best scientific estimate and among the reasons we have come Please note the San Diego call for of sustainable yield indicates that together as an association. papers on page 30. The deadline for Slovenian’s proposed harvest would abstracts is 15 September 2003. result in substantial decline in the International Concerns country’s brown bear population. We are an international organiza- Students & San Diego IBA Eurasian Vice President Jon tion, but the majority of our mem- Student Coordinator Diana Doan- Swenson and Council member Djuro bers are in the U.S. and Canada. We Crider and students wordwide will be Huber, representing the IBA, are have a smaller but growing contin- organizing a student forum for the meeting with Slovenian government gent of members in Eurasia and Latin conference. In addition, students will officials to help resolve this problem. America, where most of the world’s be working with the American Zoo Council voted to oppose proposed bear species live and where bear and Aquarium Association Bear legislation that would ban baiting of populations are often in decline. IBA Taxon Advisory Group (TAG) to hold American black bears on U.S. federal Council has spent considerable time a silent auction the evening before lands (H.R. 1472). This ignores state discussing ways in which we can the conference. This is a long- black bear management regulations improve international representation standing and successful fundraising that have enabled black bear popula- in both membership and leadership tradition for the Bear TAG and they tions to thrive in all jurisdictions roles. You can look forward to have agreed to work with students where baiting is allowed. Closely discussion of various approaches to for this effort. Items donated by Bear regulated use of baiting as a hunting accomplish this goal in an upcoming TAG and IBA members will be technique can reduce human-bear newsletter. Meanwhile, share your auctioned and the proceeds split conflicts; can limit the types of bait International Bear News May 2003 vol. 12, no. 2 2 Council News used; can lower rates of wounding bears, sun bears, and a team for trade ment of in-kind matching support losses; can provide more humane in bears and bear parts. Our goal is to and monetary donations. quick kills; and can allow hunters to have each Expert Team chaired or co- IBA is composed of strictly avoid killing females with cubs. chaired by residents of the region volunteer members, but the where individual species exist. There expertise and dedication of our IBA & BSG will also be a Coordination Commit- members represents an enormous With the concurrence of the tee to support and coordinate reservoir of talent to accomplish IUCN’s (World Conservation Union) information/program/funding efforts our goals. IBA maintains about Species Survival Commission (SSC), for the eight Expert Teams. This $80,000 +/- $30,000 in its treasury. the Bear Specialist Group (BSG) committee will also serve to address Our primary expenditures are maintains a close affiliation with conservation issues for North publication of Ursus, IBA’s journal; IBA. This connection was established American brown bears and American printing our newsletter, Interna- because IBA includes most of the black bears, both of which are tional Bear News; holding confer- world’s bear specialists among almost relatively secure on a continental ences and workshops; and funding 800 members from 47 countries. In basis. conservation projects. The IBA 2001, SSC directed IBA to select the The Expert Team chairs/co-chairs Grants Program prefers projects in BSG Chair. Subsequently, the IBA and the Coordination Committee developing countries and those Council voted to appoint the IBA have been selected. Members for the where our small amount of money President as BSG Chair, with the IBA Andean bear, European brown bear, can make the greatest difference for Past President as BSG Vice Chair to sloth bear, sun bear and bear trade conservation. provide continuity. teams have been selected. Other The IBA has an Economic IUCN/SSC agreed to this arrange- teams are progressing toward that Development Committee, whose ment because of the overlap in goal. members include both biologists function between IBA and the BSG. The first task of the Expert Teams and successful business people. This It was also in recognition that IBA is to re-evaluate action plans to list committee’s charge is to establish holds regular meetings about world- all research, management, conserva- an endowment fund to provide wide bear conservation, ecology, tion, and education measures that more funding for IBA and BSG research and management. Ursus, our need to be considered for their objectives. The initial goal is to annual scientific journal, and species/region of responsibility. Their raise $300,000, to fund projects International Bear News, our newslet- second task will be to assign each most likely to achieve meaningful ter, both serve as official BSG publi- measure a priority for conservation conservation success and to further cations. These are all functions that importance. These ratings will be our mission. As these efforts are SSC requires of specialist groups. based on global bear conservation, successful, much greater support by Beginning with the next IBA/BSG efficacy, and feasibility given avail- individuals and corporations is conference in San Diego in February able funding sources.