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I. INTRODUCTION: PROBLEM AND NEED
Conflicts between bears and people have escalated with the expansion of human populations and activities into bear habitat. Human injuries and property damage by bears have also increased on private and public lands of the United States and Canada, as numbers of people and developed sites have grown. Although the grizzly bear is listed as a "Threatened" species, destruction of bears that pose a threat to humans comprises the majority of grizzly bear mortalities in the lower 48 states. When people and their activities are superimposed over bear habitat, the potential for human-bear conflicts exists. To maintain viable populations of bears for future generations, bear managers and an educated public must implement practices that promote coexistence between bears and humans.
Knowledge of bear ecology and behavior can provide a basis for solutions to prevent human-bear conflicts. Most conflicts stem from situations where bears have been using human food sources such as garbage, livestock bone yards, pet and livestock foods, orchards, and/or when natural foods are in low abundance. Most attacks on humans have involved bears that have been habituated to humans or food conditioned by receiving "handouts"; these bears generally have lost their fear of people. Current methods of controlling "problem" bears, such as relocation or destruction, have proven costly, time consuming, and ineffective as long-term solutions to the problem. Generally these methods only treat symptoms and do not eliminate the root causes that create problem bears. Most problem bears that are relocated return and must ultimately be destroyed, or end up dead due to increased vulnerability to hunter harvest. Relocation often works against bears as it falsely conveys to the public that something beneficial has been done for the problem animal. The public does not usually understand that the relocated bears generally continue to be a problem and end up dying. In addition, the focus is taken off cleaning up the attractants that caused the problem, and finally, when the bear becomes a repeat offender it causes poor public relations for all bears. Development of methods that prevent conflicts and/or prevent reoccurrence of problems at the same site or by the same bear, is critical for survival of bears in our fast growing world.
II. PARTNERS-IN-LIFE PROGRAM GOALS
The Wind River Bear Institute (WRBI), Partners-In-Life program (Program) goal is to provide for coexistence of humans and bears by preventing and reducing conflicts. WRBI plans to develop methods that will serve as a model for teaching bears and other "problem" wildlife worldwide.
III. SPECIFIC PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
1. To develop long-term solutions for bear-human conflicts by teaching humans and bears correct behaviors, so that initial or subsequent conflicts are prevented;
2. To prevent or reduce incidence of the three principal situations that cause the majority of bear conflicts: close encounters, bear habituation to humans, and bear use of human associated food resources;
3. To determine bear personality types cross indexed with bear problem types that can be effectively dealt with using this Program's techniques;
4. To develop responsible ownership, training, and uses of Karelian Bear Dogs (KBDs); and
5. To develop public and agency personnel education programs, "bear shepherding" and KBD training and certification courses, that promote effective implementation of this methodology. |
