Conservation of Threatened Canada-USA Trans-border Grizzly Bears Linked to Comprehensive Conflict Reduction
Mortality resulting from human–wildlife conflicts affects wildlife populations globally. Since 2004, we have been researching conservation issues and implementing a comprehensive program to reduce human–bear conflicts (Ursus spp.; HBC) for 3 small, fragmented, and threatened grizzly bear (U. arctos)...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Utah State University
2018-12-01
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| Series: | Human-Wildlife Interactions |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/hwi/vol12/iss3/6 |
| _version_ | 1818473280699367424 |
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| author | Michael F. Proctor Wayne F. Kasworm Kimberly M. Annis A. Grant MacHutchon Justin E. Teisberg Thomas G. Radandt Chris Servheen |
| author_facet | Michael F. Proctor Wayne F. Kasworm Kimberly M. Annis A. Grant MacHutchon Justin E. Teisberg Thomas G. Radandt Chris Servheen |
| author_sort | Michael F. Proctor |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mortality resulting from human–wildlife conflicts affects wildlife populations globally. Since 2004, we have been researching conservation issues and implementing a comprehensive program to reduce human–bear conflicts (Ursus spp.; HBC) for 3 small, fragmented, and threatened grizzly bear (U. arctos) populations in the trans-border region of southwest Canada and northwest USA. We explored the temporal and spatial patterns of conflict mortality and found that HBC contributed significantly to the threatened status of these populations by causing decline, fragmentation, and decreased habitat effectiveness. Our program to reduce HBCs primarily included strategic private lands purchased to reduce human density in wildlife corridors, the reduction of bear attractants where human settlement and agriculture exists, and the nonlethal management of conflict bears. Attractant management strategies encompassed public education, cost-share electric fencing, bear-resistant garbage containers, and deadstock containment. We taught bear safety courses and bear spray training to increase tolerance and give people tools to avoid negative encounters with bears. We radio-collared and used nonlethal management on potential conflict bears and have a ~75% success rate in that the bear was alive and out of conflict situations over the life of the radio-collar. We identified important backcountry grizzly bear foraging habitat for motorized access control to reduce conflict and mortality and provide habitat security to reproductive females. Ongoing monitoring has demonstrated that our comprehensive HBC program has resulted in a significant reduction in human-caused mortality, increased inter-population connectivity, and improved habitat effectiveness. Several challenges remain, however, including an increase in the numbers of young grizzly bears living adjacent to agricultural areas. Herein we discuss strategies for how to integrate conservation vision into future HBC reduction programs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T04:21:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-756698bd092f4552b1d34fc79f684ee7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2155-3874 2155-3874 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T04:21:59Z |
| publishDate | 2018-12-01 |
| publisher | Utah State University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Human-Wildlife Interactions |
| spelling | doaj.art-756698bd092f4552b1d34fc79f684ee72022-12-22T02:12:30ZengUtah State UniversityHuman-Wildlife Interactions2155-38742155-38742018-12-0112310.26077/yjy6-0m57Conservation of Threatened Canada-USA Trans-border Grizzly Bears Linked to Comprehensive Conflict ReductionMichael F. Proctor0Wayne F. Kasworm1Kimberly M. Annis2A. Grant MacHutchonJustin E. Teisberg3Thomas G. Radandt4Chris Servheen5Birchdale EcologicalUS Fish & Wildlife ServiceMontana Fish Wildlife & ParksUS Fish & Wildlife ServiceUS Fish & Wildlife ServiceUniversity of MontanaMortality resulting from human–wildlife conflicts affects wildlife populations globally. Since 2004, we have been researching conservation issues and implementing a comprehensive program to reduce human–bear conflicts (Ursus spp.; HBC) for 3 small, fragmented, and threatened grizzly bear (U. arctos) populations in the trans-border region of southwest Canada and northwest USA. We explored the temporal and spatial patterns of conflict mortality and found that HBC contributed significantly to the threatened status of these populations by causing decline, fragmentation, and decreased habitat effectiveness. Our program to reduce HBCs primarily included strategic private lands purchased to reduce human density in wildlife corridors, the reduction of bear attractants where human settlement and agriculture exists, and the nonlethal management of conflict bears. Attractant management strategies encompassed public education, cost-share electric fencing, bear-resistant garbage containers, and deadstock containment. We taught bear safety courses and bear spray training to increase tolerance and give people tools to avoid negative encounters with bears. We radio-collared and used nonlethal management on potential conflict bears and have a ~75% success rate in that the bear was alive and out of conflict situations over the life of the radio-collar. We identified important backcountry grizzly bear foraging habitat for motorized access control to reduce conflict and mortality and provide habitat security to reproductive females. Ongoing monitoring has demonstrated that our comprehensive HBC program has resulted in a significant reduction in human-caused mortality, increased inter-population connectivity, and improved habitat effectiveness. Several challenges remain, however, including an increase in the numbers of young grizzly bears living adjacent to agricultural areas. Herein we discuss strategies for how to integrate conservation vision into future HBC reduction programs.https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/hwi/vol12/iss3/6conflictconnectivitygrizzly bearhuman-bear conflicthuman-caused mortalitytrans-borderursus arctos |
| spellingShingle | Michael F. Proctor Wayne F. Kasworm Kimberly M. Annis A. Grant MacHutchon Justin E. Teisberg Thomas G. Radandt Chris Servheen Conservation of Threatened Canada-USA Trans-border Grizzly Bears Linked to Comprehensive Conflict Reduction Human-Wildlife Interactions conflict connectivity grizzly bear human-bear conflict human-caused mortality trans-border ursus arctos |
| title | Conservation of Threatened Canada-USA Trans-border Grizzly Bears Linked to Comprehensive Conflict Reduction |
| title_full | Conservation of Threatened Canada-USA Trans-border Grizzly Bears Linked to Comprehensive Conflict Reduction |
| title_fullStr | Conservation of Threatened Canada-USA Trans-border Grizzly Bears Linked to Comprehensive Conflict Reduction |
| title_full_unstemmed | Conservation of Threatened Canada-USA Trans-border Grizzly Bears Linked to Comprehensive Conflict Reduction |
| title_short | Conservation of Threatened Canada-USA Trans-border Grizzly Bears Linked to Comprehensive Conflict Reduction |
| title_sort | conservation of threatened canada usa trans border grizzly bears linked to comprehensive conflict reduction |
| topic | conflict connectivity grizzly bear human-bear conflict human-caused mortality trans-border ursus arctos |
| url | https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/hwi/vol12/iss3/6 |
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