The Behavior of Captured North American Bears (With Comments on Bear Management and Research)

Abstract

Bears, like other large carnivores, compete with man for space and resources. As the number of humans has increased in North America, the number of bears has declined. This trend has now reached a danger level for certain groups of bears, such as polar bears on the Labrador coast, not to mention the already extinct California grizzly (Ursus arctos L.), and clearly means the possible extinction of all bears unless human numbers are controlled. The capacity of man to destroy competing species, if not the mere density of human population, has already made it impossible for such creatures to survive unprotected. Helicopters and oversnow vehicles have extended man's activities to all corners of the earth in all seasons, enabling large numbers of humans to invade the last sanctuaries of grizzly and polar bears (U. maritimus Phipps). We must soon decide, therefore, whether we want to share our small planet with bears. There are valid reasons for learning to live with bears. First, of course, is the esthetic value of bears and the challenge of preserving them. Second, because large carnivores have habitat requirements similar to those of man, the population trends of animals such as bears can be used as indicators of man's impact on the ecological balance of an area and as a measure of man's ability to adapt to the increasing density of his numbers. Third, because bears are large and interesting, they can be used effectively to teach ecological and environmental principles to a policy-forming public. People will listen to you speak about pure ecology if you are describing bears, but they will not listen if you are discussing the population dynamic of, say, a snail. If we choose to coexist with bears, we must conduct research into the biological implications of coexistence, and adopt game management and educational programs designed to favor the survival of bears in certain areas. For example, the management of bears in national parks, where conflicts with man have been greatest, needs to be improved through a better understanding of the behavior of bears and people.