Yesterday, we mentioned not seeing many berries. We’re not the only ones. Today, we got a call from a newspaper reporter in Winnipeg, just 290 miles away as the crow flies, asking about the recent drought and berry failure that is resulting in bears being shot as nuisances around Winnipeg. No nuisances around here, though, with a dozen residences feeding bears as they have now for 50 years. That’s one of the things we’re studying.
The Winnipeg reporter was asking for more information about diversionary feeding as a non-lethal way of reducing problems around Winnipeg. We told him about earlier experiments in northeastern Minnesota, the experience of this community we’re studying, and the experience of the citizens around Lake Tahoe.
Around Lake Tahoe in 2007, a multi-year drought had devastated bear foods. Bears were breaking into dozens of houses daily. Citizens realized that the bears were desperately hungry and the usual tactics of reducing attractants did not make the bears move on and return to natural foods. Natural foods just were not available that unusual year. Wildlife officials told the citizens that a fed bears was a dead bear and any attempts to feed bears would just make problems worse. They said the bears would become habituated and food-conditioned and become worse nuisances. Citizens were under threats of arrest if they tried to alleviate the situation with diversionary feeding. Citizens practiced diversionary feeding where they dared. According to a presentation by Ann Bryant at the International Bear Conference a few weeks ago, house break-ins ceased where they put diversionary food in the woods, but problems continued elsewhere. Did problems become worse the next year? The next year had fewer nuisance problems than usual—not higher.
If diversionary feeding made problems worse, people in our area here in northeastern Minnesota would not have done it for 50 years now. Nothing is a panacea, but we hope this practice receives more study to determine when and where it can best alleviate problems and promote coexistence.
Meanwhile, the bears here remain safe. We forgot to say in the update last night that after experimentally putting the collar on Faith and seeing her non-reaction to it, we took it off. We were happy to see that she accepts a collar. She should be easy to collar before family break-up in the spring so she can continue to provide data next year. We’ll keep trying to radio-collar Hope.
A big thank you to all who participated in the Pond Chat fundraiser that reduced the debt by another $945. Including the $10,000 from the Lilypad Picnic and recent fundraisers created by Team Bear, the many Lily fans who participated have brought the debt down to within $245 of $35,000. Thank you! It will take a few days for all of this to show on the thermometer.
Today, you moved Soudan Underground Mine State Park exactly 535 votes closer to 1st place (318,770 votes behind) and moved it exactly 7,500 votes farther ahead of 3rd place (759,843 votes ahead) at http://m.livepositively.com/park_details.jsp?parkId=556 with 20 days of voting to go.
Thank you for all you do.
—Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center