Relocation of habituated black bears in the Klamath Mountains of California: an adaptive management case study
Black bear (Ursus americanus) populations in California have increased in abundance and distribution despite rising trends in the urban encroachment of wildlands. As human-black bear conflicts increase, opportunities to study the relocation of black bears in an adaptive management setting are import...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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California Department of Fish and Wildlife
2021-11-01
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| Series: | California Fish and Wildlife Journal |
| Subjects: |
| _version_ | 1818823655591772160 |
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| author | Robert J. Schaefer Dennis Moyles Steven McDonald Monty Cervelli Daniel Beck |
| author_facet | Robert J. Schaefer Dennis Moyles Steven McDonald Monty Cervelli Daniel Beck |
| author_sort | Robert J. Schaefer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Black bear (Ursus americanus) populations in California have increased in abundance and distribution despite rising trends in the urban encroachment of wildlands. As human-black bear conflicts increase, opportunities to study the relocation of black bears in an adaptive management setting are important for improving the management of this high-profile species. Habituated black bears, some tamed and made tractable through human-controlled food conditioning, were relocated to a remote region of the Klamath Mountains to analyze home range use, survival, return rates, and mortality. Relocated black bears with known outcomes demonstrated an 80% return rate, with 55% not surviving beyond five months. Female bears established home ranges significantly larger than males, and may suggest an enhanced maternal instinct in search of similar nutritional conditions prior to relocation. This study showed that the relocation of food-conditioned black bears resulted in high return rates, poor survival, and risk to public safety. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T23:43:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0675bcddaa774bc6ab4f22965c0e741a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2689-4203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T23:43:26Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | California Department of Fish and Wildlife |
| record_format | Article |
| series | California Fish and Wildlife Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-0675bcddaa774bc6ab4f22965c0e741a2022-12-21T20:47:19ZengCalifornia Department of Fish and WildlifeCalifornia Fish and Wildlife Journal2689-42032021-11-01107320221210.51492/cfwj.hwisi.5Relocation of habituated black bears in the Klamath Mountains of California: an adaptive management case studyRobert J. Schaefer0Dennis Moyles1Steven McDonald2Monty Cervelli3Daniel Beck4California Department of Fish and WildlifeSiskiyou County Department of AgricultureCalifornia Department of Fish and WildlifeCalifornia Department of Fish and WildlifeCalifornia Department of Fish and WildlifeBlack bear (Ursus americanus) populations in California have increased in abundance and distribution despite rising trends in the urban encroachment of wildlands. As human-black bear conflicts increase, opportunities to study the relocation of black bears in an adaptive management setting are important for improving the management of this high-profile species. Habituated black bears, some tamed and made tractable through human-controlled food conditioning, were relocated to a remote region of the Klamath Mountains to analyze home range use, survival, return rates, and mortality. Relocated black bears with known outcomes demonstrated an 80% return rate, with 55% not surviving beyond five months. Female bears established home ranges significantly larger than males, and may suggest an enhanced maternal instinct in search of similar nutritional conditions prior to relocation. This study showed that the relocation of food-conditioned black bears resulted in high return rates, poor survival, and risk to public safety.habituatedhome rangeklamath mountainspublic safetyrelocationreturn ratesurvivaltelemetrytractableursus americanus |
| spellingShingle | Robert J. Schaefer Dennis Moyles Steven McDonald Monty Cervelli Daniel Beck Relocation of habituated black bears in the Klamath Mountains of California: an adaptive management case study California Fish and Wildlife Journal habituated home range klamath mountains public safety relocation return rate survival telemetry tractable ursus americanus |
| title | Relocation of habituated black bears in the Klamath Mountains of California: an adaptive management case study |
| title_full | Relocation of habituated black bears in the Klamath Mountains of California: an adaptive management case study |
| title_fullStr | Relocation of habituated black bears in the Klamath Mountains of California: an adaptive management case study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Relocation of habituated black bears in the Klamath Mountains of California: an adaptive management case study |
| title_short | Relocation of habituated black bears in the Klamath Mountains of California: an adaptive management case study |
| title_sort | relocation of habituated black bears in the klamath mountains of california an adaptive management case study |
| topic | habituated home range klamath mountains public safety relocation return rate survival telemetry tractable ursus americanus |
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