Abstract
We conducted thirteen immobilizations of previously collared hibernating two- to four-year-old brown bears (Ursus arctos) weighing 21–66 kg in central Sweden in winter 2010 and 2011 for comparative physiology research. Here we report, for the first time, an effective protocol for the capture and anesthesia of free-ranging brown bears during hibernation and an assessment of the disturbance the captures caused. Bears were darted in anthill, soil, or uprooted tree dens on eleven occasions, but two bears in rock dens fled and were darted outside the den. We used medetomidine at 0.02–0.06 mg/kg and zolazepam-tiletamine at 0.9–2.8 mg/kg for anesthesia. In addition, ketamine at 1.5 mg/kg was hand-injected intramuscularly in four bears and in six it was included in the dart at 1.1–3.0 mg/kg. Once anesthetized, bears were removed from the dens. In nine bears, arterial blood samples were analyzed immediately with a portable blood gas analyzer. We corrected hypoxemia in seven bears (PaO2 57–74 mmHg) with supplemental oxygen. We placed the bears back into the dens and antagonized the effect of medetomidine with atipamezole. Capturing bears in the den significantly increased the risk of den abandonment. One of twelve collared bears that were captured remained at the original den until spring, and eleven, left their dens (mean ± standard deviation) 3.2±3.6 (range 0.5–10.5) days after capture. They used 1.9±0.9 intermediate resting sites, during 6.2±7.8 days before entering a new permanent den. The eleven new permanent dens were located 730±589 m from the original dens. We documented that it was feasible and safe to capture hibernating brown bears, although they behaved differently than black bears. When doing so, researchers should use 25% of the doses used for helicopter darting during the active period and should consider increased energetic costs associated with den abandonment.
Highlights
Growing interest in hibernation physiology requires development of safe and effective field techniques for immobilizing hibernating bears with the least possible risk to both researchers and bears
Evaluation of disturbance and impact of research on free-ranging animals is becoming more valued [9,10]. We developed this capture protocol for hibernating brown bears based on limited reports of immobilization of American and Asiatic black bears (Ursus americanus and U. thibetanus) during winter [11,12,13], immobilization of captive brown bears in wintertime [14], springtime brown bear immobilization protocols in the same study areas [15,16], and knowledge of denning ecology [17,18,19] and hibernation physiology [3,20]
Our objectives were to develop an effective capture and anesthesia protocol for hibernating free-ranging brown bears, to evaluate arterial oxygenation in order to determine if supplemental oxygen should be administered and to evaluate the disturbance that the captures caused to the bears
Summary
Growing interest in hibernation physiology requires development of safe and effective field techniques for immobilizing hibernating bears with the least possible risk to both researchers and bears. Evaluation of disturbance and impact of research on free-ranging animals is becoming more valued [9,10]. We developed this capture protocol for hibernating brown bears based on limited reports of immobilization of American and Asiatic black bears (Ursus americanus and U. thibetanus) during winter [11,12,13], immobilization of captive brown bears in wintertime [14], springtime brown bear immobilization protocols in the same study areas [15,16], and knowledge of denning ecology [17,18,19] and hibernation physiology [3,20]
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