Status and management of brown bears in Turkey 6. Emre Can1'3and inci Togan2'4 1 WWF Turkey, PK 871 06045, Ankara, Turkey 2Department of Biology, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey Abstract: The brown bear (Ursus arctos) is the largest carnivorein Turkey.Its presentdistribution is mainly confined to the intact naturalhabitats of the Black Sea and EasternAnatolian regions. Forest fragmentationand direct persecutionby humanshave resultedin populationdeclines in other regions duringthe last 50 years. Human-bearconflicts are more often observed in the easternBlack Sea than other areas within Turkey, but the species does not seriously threatenhumans in Turkey. Turkish authoritieshave not kept records of bear damage, but depredationhas mainly occurredon cattle and sheep. The brown bear has a more positive image among the local people than the wolf (Canis lupus). Brown bearsare a protectedspecies, but protectedareas in Turkeyare too small to provide a refuge for the species. Priorityactions for the conservationof brown bears in Turkeyare legislationdevelopment and implementation,research on population status and range, expansion of currentprotected areas, and identification of new ones. Public awareness and capacity building of the local authorities on theoretical and practical aspects of wildlife management,such as designing surveys, collecting systematic data, analyzing and reportingdata, and brown bear handling techniques, will also play a critical role. Key words: brown bear, conservation,distribution, management, status, Turkey, Ursus arctos Ursus15(1):48-53 (2004) Turkey is located between Europe and Asia and has gutturosa), chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra), wild goat a total land mass of 780,576 km2. The Black, Aegean, (Capra aegagrus), mouflon (Ovis orientalis), and wild and Mediterraneanseas surrounda substantialpart of boar (Sus scrofa) (Swift and Holloway 1967; Hus 1974; Turkey. Despite the existence of broad plains and Turan 1984; Ustay 1990; Demirsoy 1996; Shackleton plateaus,Turkey's topographic structure is highly moun- 1997; Can 2001; M. Pani, 1998, Wildlife ecology tainous,with an averagealtitude of 1,130 m. Turkeyhas planning and managementproject final report, UNDP/ one peak >5,000 m, 3 >4,000 m and 129 peaks FAOProjectTUR/96/003/A/01/12.23, Ankara,Turkey). >3,000 m. Informationis lacking on populations and the exact in Turkeyhas several species of large carnivoresthat are distributionfor the majorityof largemammals Turkey. brown bear in is ecologically, economically, and scientifically important Similarly,basic informationon Turkey in addition to the brown bear, including wolf, striped very limited: Turkey is not even mentioned in recent for brown bears worldwide hyena (Hyaena hyaena), Eurasianlynx (Lynxlynx), and compilationsor action plans caracal(Caracal caracal) (Can 2002). The Caspiantiger (Servheenet al. 1999, Swenson et al. 2000, Zedrosseret of (Panthera tigris virgata) and the Anatolian leopard al. 2001). We summarize the present knowledge needs in (Panthera pardus tulliana) are big cats that once had brown bears and their conservation Turkey. a wider distributionin the country. The Anatolian leo- to pard is now listed as critically endangeredaccording Methods World Conservation Union (IUCN 2003). The large We developed a questionnaireand sent it to local herbivore species which form the prey base for Ministry of Forestry offices and military offices in carnivores are red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer provinces of Turkey. The questionnairerequested in- goitered gazelle (Gazella sub- (Capreolus capreolus), formationon bear presence (sightings, feces, feeding or resting signs, tracks).A total of 506 questionnaireswere distributedin 28 of Turkey's 81 provinces. In 23 of the were [email protected]@metu.edu.tr 28 provinces where the questionnaires distributed, 48 BROWN BEARS IN TURKEY * Can and Togan 49 informal follow-up interviews were Bulgaria v held with 191 people (Ministry of Forestrypersonnel, militarypersonnel, hunters, and citizens). Selected sites o were visited to validatethe information o from the interviews and to search for brown bear sign. Administrativeper- sonnel of the General Directorate of National Parks and Game.. Wildlife of " . the Turkish Ministry of Forestry ("Directorate", hereafter) were also AegeanSe interviewedabout organizational, func- , tional, and legal issues of wildlife protection,management, and conserva- tion. We used numerous maps of Turkey (maps on various scales, forest Fig. 1. Appreoximate distribution of brown bear in Turkey, 2003. All maps, and maps of roads and human shaded areas do not necessarily contain brown bears. settlementpatterns) to infer brown bear distribution relative to habitat availability, habitat nigra), oak, and juniper (Juniperus excelsa) forests connectivity, and extent of human inhabitations and ranging from 1,000 m to 1,500 m are also important resultantbiotic pressures,and to preparean approximate potentialhabitat. distributionmap for the brown bear in Turkey. The forested areas in eastern Turkey are less continuous than in the Black Sea region. Therefore, functionalhabitat in the formeris separatedinto more or Results less isolated areas with some inter-connectivity.Bear Distribution of the brown bear population populations in eastern Turkey may be divided into According to the Directorate, the brown bear is several sub-populations.Distinct populationsmay have continuouslydistributed throughout the Black Sea region formed in westernTurkey because forest corridorshave from Bolu to Artvin. The eastern Black Sea region become unusable as a result of human activities. There probably supportsthe largest brown bear populationin are no reliable populationestimates for brown bears in Turkey (Emin Nasuhoglu, Directorate,Ankara, Turkey, Turkey. personal communication,2000). In general, the distri- bution of brown bears is confinedto the forest and intact Legal status and management natural habitats of Ankara, Antalya, Artvin, Bingol, The Directorateis in charge of protection, manage- Bitlis, Bolu, Bursa, (_anakkale,(_ankln, Elazig, Erzu- ment, and conservationof wildlife in Turkey, including rum, Giresun, Gtimtiuhane, Hakkari, Isparta, Kars, the brownbear. The LandHunting Law of 1937 (Official Kastamonu,Malatya, Mugla, Mu?, Ordu,Sakarya, Siirt, Gazette of TurkishRepublic 1937) constitutesthe legal Sivas, iSmak, Tokat, Trabzon, Tunceli, Van, and basis for all wildlife management,protection, and con- Zonguldakregions (Fig. 1). servation activities. According to the Land Hunting Habitattype and quality are presumablykey factors Law, the brown bear is not listed as a pest species (as influencingbrown bear distribution. Important habitat for are the wolf, hyaena, leopard, and tiger), but ratheras brown bears is provided by broad-leaf deciduous and a protectedspecies. However, the Directoratemay allow conifer forests in the Black Sea region from 500 to 1,500 recreationalhunting of brownbears for a fee. The Central m; humid and sub-humidconiferous forests in the high HuntingCommission, which meets annuallyto determine mountainsof northeaster Turkeyfrom 1,000 m to 2,000 hunting regulations for Turkey, set the brown bear m; dry oak (Quercus spp.) and pine (Pinus nigra, P. hunting fee at $US 2,000 for 2002 with a fine of sylvestris) forests in the hinterlandsof the Black Sea 4,500,000,000 Turkish lira (-$US 3,000 at the 2002 from 500 to 1,500 m; and dry forests of East Anatolia exchange rate) for illegal hunting of brown bears from 850 m to 2,700 m. Lower Mediterraneanbelt (TurkishMinistry of Forestry 2002). According to the forests from 800 m to 1,500 m, Mediterraneanmountain authorities, hunting of bears should be permitted to forests from 500 m to 2,000 m, and dry black pine (P. control damage to beehives and crop depredation. Ursus 15(1):48-53 (2004) 50 BROWNBEARS IN TURKEY* Can and Togan There are officially about 2.5 million hunters in Table 1. Number and size of conservation areas in Turkey.One needs to be at least 18 years old and posses Turkey which may provide habitat for large carni- vores, 2003. a license to hunt. Recently, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Forestry started a joint education Total Extentof programfor those who want to become a hunter.New Protectedarea Number area(ha) country(%) hunting licenses are issued after successful completion NationalParks 33 686,631 0.88 0.1 of the trainingprogram. NatureReserves 35 83,023 NatureParks 17 0.09 The Directoratehas been to its structure 69,505 trying update WildlifeProtection Area 107 1,614,899 2.07 andestablish large herbivore censuses throughoutTurkey ProtectionForests 53 365,884 0.47 (beginning in 2000), but these attemptshave not been Total 2,819,942 3.61 coordinatedwith censuses of the carnivores.Turkey is a member of the Ber Convention, the Convention on Interational Trade in EndangeredSpecies of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and the Biological Diversity Although survey respondentsdid not reportpoaching Convention, all of which are relevant to brown bear. of brown bears, interviews with local people suggested in the wester and eastern There is neither a managementplan nor a monitoring that brown bear populations Black Sea are for bear which is programfor brown bears in Turkey. regions poached fat, believed to be of medicinalvalue. The illegal kill rate of brown bears is unknown,but it is reportedthat poaching in areas Presence of brown bears protected exists in the Black Sea region. There is no reliable has been set aside for About 3.6 million ha of land