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Opportunity to Educate – UPDATE July 24, 2013

20130724 Bountiful blueberriesBountiful blueberries Research assistants Mike and Lorie have run into a novel problem in their routine fieldwork to keep the GPS units working and bears ‘on the map.’  No bears!  They spent 3 days tracking down 4 radio-collared bears that need batteries changed—but were unable to connect with any of them.  They were close.  The bears heard them.  The bears smelled them.  The bears knew nuts could easily be had, but the bears weren’t interested.  We very badly want to track the bears in this unusually good food year.  With food so abundant that they scarcely have to move to fill their stomachs, do they still patrol their territories?  What drives movements other than hunger?

Red-osier dogwoodRed-osier dogwoodAt the Bear Center, Lucky is similarly forgoing food offered by the staff and instead is foraging on wild berries growing within the enclosure.  The super-abundant wild food available right now is more important to the bears than a couple handfuls of nuts.  We have never encountered this problem before.  In this area, we are experiencing the best food year in nearly 20 years.

JuneberriesJuneberriesMeanwhile, the Research Center was a-buzz.  While the programming group discussed data most of the day on the first floor of the Research Center, those on the second floor were trying to straighten out misconceptions reported in the media.   We are taking advantage of the current media attention by putting out factual information about bears and our research.  This presents an incredible opportunity to educate the public about the true nature of black bears.

Juneberry scatJuneberry scatMisconceptions about bears and our research create concerns about public safety.  This sets the stage for killing habituated research bears when there is no threat to public safety.  Not only are habituated bears less likely to attack than other bears, they are currently out in the woods eating the buffet of wild foods to an extent people seldom see.  Wild food is everywhere and preferred over anything they can get around houses.  Removing the radio-collars at this time will not increase public safety.  It will only ensure that the research bears are more apt to be taken in this fall’s hunt.

We saw your increased donations to the legal fund.  Thank you.  And thank you for all the support you are showing in other ways.

Thank you for all you are doing.

—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center

All photos taken this week.


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