Scat detection dogs in wildlife research and management: application to grizzly and black bears in the Yellowhead Ecosystem, Alberta, Canada

2004 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 475-492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel K Wasser ◽  
Barbara Davenport ◽  
Elizabeth R Ramage ◽  
Kathleen E Hunt ◽  
Margaret Parker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Physiological Stress ◽  
Black Bear ◽  
Reproductive Activity ◽  
Grizzly Bears ◽  
Grizzly Bear ◽  
Fecal Cortisol ◽  
The North ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
Northern Portion

We report the development and application of a method using domestic dogs (Canis familiaris Linnaeus, 1758) to systematically locate wildlife scat over large remote areas. Detection dogs are chosen for their strong object orientation, high play drive, and willingness to strive for a reward. Dogs were trained to detect grizzly bear (Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758) and black bear (Ursus americanus Pallas, 1780) scats over a 5200-km2 area of the Yellowhead Ecosystem, Alberta, Canada. DNA from scat provided the species and (for grizzly bears only) sex and individual identities of the animal at each location. Concentrations of fecal cortisol and progesterone metabolites from these same grizzly bear scats provided indices of physiological stress and reproductive activity (in females), respectively. Black and grizzly bears were most concentrated in the northern portion of the multiuse study area, where food is most abundant yet poaching-related mortality appears to be heaviest. Physiologic stress was also lowest and female reproductive activity correspondingly highest for grizzly bears in the north. The scat-based distributions corresponded to concurrently collected hair-snag data in 1999 and global positioning system radiotelemetry data (of grizzly bears) in 1999 and 2001. Results suggest that the scat dog detection methodology provides a promising tool for addressing a variety of management and research questions in the wildlife sciences.

A study of predominant aerobic microflora of black bears (Ursus americanus) and grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in northwestern Alberta

1987 ◽  
Vol 33 (11) ◽  
pp. 949-954 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. J. Goatcher ◽  
M. W. Barrett ◽  
R. N. Coleman ◽  
A. W. L. Hawley ◽  
A. A. Qureshi
Keyword(s):  
Soil Bacteria ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Random Distribution ◽  
Ursus Americanus ◽  
Black Bear ◽  
Black Bears ◽  
Grizzly Bears ◽  
Grizzly Bear ◽  
Streptococcus Species ◽  
Generic Composition

Swab specimens were obtained from nasal, rectal, and preputial or vaginal areas of 37 grizzly and 17 black bears, captured during May to June of 1981 to 1983, to determine the types and frequency of predominant aerobic microflora. Bacterial genera most frequently isolated from bears were Escherichia, Citrobacter, Hafnia, Proteus, Staphylococcus, and Streptococcus species, comprising about 65% of the isolates. Erwinia, Xanthomonas, Agrobacterium, Rhizobium, and Gluconobacter/Acetobacter were also isolated but at lower frequencies (< 5%). Comparison of bacterial generic composition using similarity quotient values showed no appreciable differences between grizzly and black bear flora. Also, no outstanding differences in bacterial generic composition were observed among grizzly bear samples; however, differences were noted among black bear samples. Fungal genera most commonly encountered included Cryptococcus, Rhodotorula, Cladosporium, Penicillium, Sporobolomyces, and Candida. In general, the microflora of both bear types were marked by generic diversity and random distribution. The majority of microorganisms isolated from the plant samples in the study area were also found in bear samples. This observation and the presence of certain water and soil bacteria in samples from bears suggest that the predominant microflora of both grizzly and black bears were transient and probably influenced by their foraging habits and surrounding environments.

Estimating population growth of grizzly bears from the Flathead River drainage using computer simulations of reproduction and survival rates

1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (8) ◽  
pp. 1409-1416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederick W. Hovey ◽  
Bruce N. McLellan
Keyword(s):  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Population Increase ◽  
Grizzly Bears ◽  
Grizzly Bear ◽  
Reproduction Rate ◽  
River Drainage ◽  
The North ◽  
Flathead River ◽  
Subadult Female

Using survival and reproduction data obtained from radio-tracking 23 adult female, 24 subadult female, 49 yearling, and 44 cub grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in the Flathead River drainage of British Columbia and Montana, we estimated the finite rate of population increase [Formula: see text] from 1979 to 1994 at 1.085 ± 0.026, with ≈95% confidence limits of 1.032–1.136. Estimated annual survival rates were 0.946 ± 0.026 for adult females, 0.931 ± 0.038 for subadult females, 0.944 ± 0.039 for yearlings, and 0.867 ± 0.050 for cubs (rates for cubs and yearlings represented both sexes). The estimated annual reproduction rate and age at first parturition were 0.422 ± 0.042 female cubs per female and 6.44 ± 0.45 years, respectively. We found that uncertainty in [Formula: see text] was mostly attributable to uncertainty in survival rates (76.7%), with subadult (47.5%) and adult (21.9%) survival contributing the largest portions. These results indicated that to reduce uncertainty in [Formula: see text], further research on grizzly bears in our study area should focus on improving estimates of adult and subadult female survivorship. Other demographic variables are not as important in estimating the grizzly bear population trend in the North Fork of the Flathead River drainage.

Hair cortisol concentration as a noninvasive measure of long-term stress in free-ranging grizzly bears (Ursus arctos): considerations with implications for other wildlife

2010 ◽  
Vol 88 (10) ◽  
pp. 935-949 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. J. Macbeth ◽  
M.R.L. Cattet ◽  
G. B. Stenhouse ◽  
M. L. Gibeau ◽  
D. M. Janz
Keyword(s):  
Landscape Change ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Physiological Stress ◽  
Hair Shaft ◽  
Cortisol Concentration ◽  
Body Region ◽  
Grizzly Bears ◽  
Grizzly Bear ◽  
Hair Cortisol

Human-caused landscape change negatively affects the sustainability of many wildlife populations. In Alberta, Canada, grizzly bears ( Ursus arctos L., 1758) live in one of the most populated and heavily exploited landscapes in which the species survives. Long-term physiological stress in individual animals may be the predominant mechanism linking landscape change with impaired wildlife population health. Hair cortisol concentration has been validated as a biomarker of long-term stress in humans and domestic animals; however, limited work has examined factors that may affect its measurement or interpretation. We have measured cortisol in as few as five guard hairs of a grizzly bear and have identified factors influencing hair cortisol concentration in this species. Hair cortisol varies with hair type, body region, and capture method. It is not influenced by colour, age, sex, environmental exposure (18 days), or prolonged laboratory storage (>1 year) and does not vary along the length of the hair shaft. Recommendations for prudent use of hair cortisol analysis in grizzly bears are discussed with implications for the development of hair cortisol concentration as a tool to monitor long-term stress in other wildlife.

A grizzly bear from the Middle Wisconsin of Woodbridge, Ontario

1976 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 341-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles S. Churcher ◽  
Alan V. Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Grizzly Bears ◽  
Grizzly Bear ◽  
Bone Fragment ◽  
Mammuthus Primigenius ◽  
Ursus Arctos Horribilis ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Lake Simcoe ◽  
Left Humerus ◽  
Woolly Mammoth

The distal end of the left humerus of a grizzly bear, Ursus arctos, has been recovered from above the Early Wisconsin Sunnybrook Till at Woodbridge, Ontario, from the same horizon that previously has yielded remains of the woolly mammoth, Mammuthus primigenius. The age of these specimens is estimated at 40 000–50 000 years BP, within the mid-Wisconsin, Port Talbot Interstadial. The only other recognized Canadian record of a grizzly bear east of Manitoba is from a gravel sequence at Barrie, near Lake Simcoe, Ontario, dated from a bone fragment to 11 700 ± 250 years BP. A specimen recovered in Toronto in 1913 from an Early Wisconsin horizon is also considered to represent the grizzly. Bears of the grizzly type, Ursus arctos-horribilis were present in Ontario before and after the Early and Late Wisconsin ice advances.

Spatially explicit carrying capacity estimates to inform species specific recovery objectives: Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) recovery in the North Cascades

2018 ◽  
Vol 222 ◽  
pp. 21-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea L. Lyons ◽  
William L. Gaines ◽  
Peter H. Singleton ◽  
Wayne F. Kasworm ◽  
Michael F. Proctor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carrying Capacity ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Spatially Explicit ◽  
Grizzly Bear ◽  
North Cascades ◽  
The North ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Capacity Estimates

scholarly journals Novel range overlap of three ursids in the Canadian subarctic

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas Andrew Clark ◽  
Ryan Brook ◽  
Chelsea Oliphant-Reskanski ◽  
Michel P. Laforge ◽  
Kiva Olson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Black Bear ◽  
Grizzly Bear ◽  
American Black Bear ◽  
Remote Cameras ◽  
American Black ◽  
Range Overlap ◽  
Conservation Concern ◽  
Response To Environmental Change ◽  
First Time

We describe for the first time in the peer-reviewed literature observations of American black bear (Ursus americanus Pallas, 1780), grizzly bear (Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758), and polar bear (Ursus maritimus Phipps, 1774) at the same locations. Using remote cameras we documented 401 bear-visits of all three species at three camps in Wapusk National Park, Canada, from 2011–2017. These observations add to a growing body of evidence that grizzlies are undergoing a substantial range increase in northern Canada and the timing of our observations suggests denning locally. Polar and grizzly bears are of conservation concern regionally and internationally, so from the literature we assessed the potential effects on conservation efforts from interactions between these three species. In aggregate, those effects are likely to be positive for grizzlies and weakly negative for black and polar bears; further research is needed. Range overlap of these three species in this dynamic ecotonal region should not be viewed as a threat to any of them, but rather as an ecological response to environmental change that needs to be better understood.

Predation on moose and caribou by radio-collared grizzly bears in east central Alaska

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (11) ◽  
pp. 2492-2499 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. D. Boertje ◽  
W. C. Gasaway ◽  
D. V. Grangaard ◽  
D. G. Kelleyhouse
Keyword(s):  
Important Implication ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Grizzly Bears ◽  
Grizzly Bear ◽  
East Central ◽  
Specific Factors ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Predation Rates

Radio-collared grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) were sighted daily for approximately 1-month periods during spring, summer, and fall to estimate predation rates. Predation rates on adult moose (Alces alces) were highest in spring, lowest in summer, and intermediate in fall. The highest kill rates were by male grizzlies killing cow moose during the calving period. We estimated that each adult male grizzly killed 3.3–3.9 adult moose annually, each female without cub(s) killed 0.6–0.8 adult moose and 0.9–1.0 adult caribou (Rangifer tarandus) annually, and each adult bear killed at least 5.4 moose calves annually. Grizzly predation rates on calves and grizzly density were independent of moose density and are probably more related to area-specific factors, e.g., availability of alternative foods. An important implication of our results is that managers should not allow moose densities to decline to low levels, because grizzlies can have a greater relative impact on low- than on high-density moose populations and because grizzly predation can be difficult to reduce. Grizzly bears were primarily predators, rather than scavengers, in this area of low prey availability (11 moose/grizzly bear); bears killed four times more animal biomass than they scavenged.

scholarly journals The Genome of the North American Brown Bear or Grizzly: Ursus arctos ssp. horribilis

Genes ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory A. Taylor ◽  
Heather Kirk ◽  
Lauren Coombe ◽  
Shaun D. Jackman ◽  
Justin Chu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Brown Bear ◽  
Close Relative ◽  
Grizzly Bear ◽  
Construction Technique ◽  
Protein Coding ◽  
Automated Annotation ◽  
The North ◽  
Long Read ◽  
Reference Quality

The grizzly bear (Ursus arctos ssp. horribilis) represents the largest population of brown bears in North America. Its genome was sequenced using a microfluidic partitioning library construction technique, and these data were supplemented with sequencing from a nanopore-based long read platform. The final assembly was 2.33 Gb with a scaffold N50 of 36.7 Mb, and the genome is of comparable size to that of its close relative the polar bear (2.30 Gb). An analysis using 4104 highly conserved mammalian genes indicated that 96.1% were found to be complete within the assembly. An automated annotation of the genome identified 19,848 protein coding genes. Our study shows that the combination of the two sequencing modalities that we used is sufficient for the construction of highly contiguous reference quality mammalian genomes. The assembled genome sequence and the supporting raw sequence reads are available from the NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) under the bioproject identifier PRJNA493656, and the assembly described in this paper is version QXTK01000000.

Grizzly bear digging sites for Hedysarum sulphurescens roots in southwestern Alberta

1984 ◽  
Vol 62 (12) ◽  
pp. 2571-2575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne C. Holcroft ◽  
Stephen Herrero
Keyword(s):  
Discriminant Function ◽  
Discriminant Function Analysis ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Function Analysis ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Grizzly Bears ◽  
Grizzly Bear ◽  
Rock Fragments ◽  
Ursus Arctos Horribilis ◽  
Steep Slopes

Characteristics of sites where Hedysarum sulphurescens Rydb. roots were extensively, less extensively, or not dug by grizzly bears Ursus arctos horribilis Ord. were analyzed in relation to topographic, vegetative, soil, and geologic features. Discriminant function analysis significantly separated dug and undug sites, but did not separate extensively and less extensively dug sites. Ease of breaking the soil surface, presence of shaly rock fragments, loose cobble and gravel, and steep slopes were characteristic of dug sites. The abundance of H. sulphurescens appeared less important than the loose nature of the substrate indicating that digging time was important in optimizing energetics.

scholarly journals Estimating unrecorded human-caused mortalities of grizzly bears in the Flathead Valley, British Columbia, Canada

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5781
Author(s):  
Bruce N. McLellan ◽  
Garth Mowat ◽  
Clayton T. Lamb
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Grizzly Bears ◽  
Grizzly Bear ◽  
Considerable Uncertainty ◽  
The Government ◽  
Reporting Rates ◽  
Gravel Road

Managing the number of grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) mortalities to a sustainable level is fundamental to bear conservation. All known grizzly bear deaths are recorded by management agencies but the number of human-caused grizzly bear deaths that are not recorded is generally unknown, causing considerable uncertainty in the total number of mortalities. Here, we compare the number of bears killed legally by hunters to the number killed by people for all other reasons, for bears wearing functioning radiocollars and for uncollared bears recorded in the British Columbia (BC) government mortality database for the Flathead Valley in southeast BC. Between 1980 and 2016, permitted hunters killed 10 collared bears and 12 (9 known, 3 suspected) were killed by people for other reasons. This ratio differed (p < 0.0001) from the uncollared bears in the government database where 71 were killed by hunters while only 10 were killed for other reasons. We estimate that 88% (95% CI; 67–96%) of the human-caused mortalities that were not by permitted hunters were unreported. The study area may have low reporting rates because it is >40 km on a gravel road from a Conservation Officer office, so reporting is difficult and there are no human residences so there is little concern of a neighbor contacting an officer. Our results are likely indicative of other places that are road-accessed but far from settlements. We discuss the implications of sampling individuals for collaring and the possible implications of wearing a collar on the animal’s fate.

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