Male reproductive input, breeding tenure, and turnover in high-density brown bear (Ursus arctos yesoensis) populations on the Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido, Japan

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (3) ◽  
pp. 175-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michito Shimozuru ◽  
Yuri Shirane ◽  
Mina Jimbo ◽  
Masami Yamanaka ◽  
Masanao Nakanishi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Brown Bear ◽  
Breeding Systems ◽  
Litter Production ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
Wildlife Protection ◽  
Protection Area ◽  
Male Reproductive Behavior ◽  
Conservation And Management

Male reproductive behavior has not been thoroughly investigated in large, non-social mammals. We studied male reproductive input using field observations and microsatellite DNA data for the brown bear (Ursus arctos yesoensis Lydekker, 1897) population in a special wildlife protection area on the Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido, Japan. We identified the father of 82 offspring born between 2006 and 2018 from 54 litters produced by 20 females and revealed that they were sired by a total of 19 males. Overall, paternity was distributed relatively evenly among different males, although litter production tended to be skewed to a few bears in some years. Male breeding tenure varied among individuals, but most tenures were within the range of 1 to 6 years. Human-caused mortality, mostly occurring near human residential areas, induced male turnover, indicating that the special wildlife protection area located in the inner part of the Shiretoko Peninsula is not free from human impact. The frequency of successful reproduction was highest in 10- to 14-year-old bears, which is consistent with the period when males reach physical maturity. These results contribute to an understanding of breeding systems in large solitary mammals and to appropriate conservation and management strategies for brown bear populations.

Effect of seasonal differences in dietary meat intake on changes in body mass and composition in wild and captive brown bears

1999 ◽  
Vol 77 (10) ◽  
pp. 1623-1630 ◽  
Author(s):  
G V Hilderbrand ◽  
S G Jenkins ◽  
C C Schwartz ◽  
T A Hanley ◽  
C T Robbins
Keyword(s):  
Lean Body Mass ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Brown Bear ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Meat Intake ◽  
Brown Bears ◽  
Time Required

The influence of seasonal dietary meat intake on changes in body mass and composition in wild and captive brown bears (Ursus arctos) was investigated because the importance and availability of meat to brown bear populations is currently an important management consideration in several North American ecosystems. Adult female brown bears on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, utilized meat heavily in both spring and fall. Meat accounted for 76.2 ± 26.0% (mean ± 1 SD; primarily moose carrion and calves) of assimilated carbon and nitrogen in the spring and 80.4 ± 22.2% (primarily salmon) in the fall. Mass increases in the spring (71.8 ± 28.2%) were mostly lean body mass, but increases in the fall (81.0 ± 19.5%) were primarily fat. Daily intake by captive brown bears fed meat ad libitum during 12-day trials was positively related to body mass. Mass change was positively related to intake in both seasons, but the composition of the gain varied by season, with spring gains primarily lean body mass (64.2 ± 9.4%), while fall gains were 78.8 ± 19.6% lipid. Absolute rates of gain by wild bears occasionally equaled, but were usually much less than, those of captive bears. This was likely due to a combination of factors, which included the time required to locate and handle meat resources, the limited availability of or access to meat resources, and (or) the duration of meat resource availability. Estimated intake by bears not feeding selectively on high-energy components of moose and salmon were 8.5 ± 1.5 kg/day and 541 ± 156 kg/year and 10.8 ± 4.6 kg/day and 1003 ± 489 kg/year, respectively. Intake would drop by as much as 58% for bears feeding exclusively on salmon roe. Management strategies for areas with brown bears that consume significant amounts of meat should address the perpetuation and availability of these meat resources.

scholarly journals Developing methods for measuring national distributions and densities of wild mammals using camera traps: A Kosovo study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Elizabeth Beatham ◽  
Alastair Ian Ward ◽  
David Fouracre ◽  
Anthony J Wilsmore ◽  
Besim Zogu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Brown Bear ◽  
Classical Swine Fever ◽  
Camera Trap ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Ecological Data ◽  
Moderate Amount ◽  
Wild Mammals ◽  
Local Stakeholders

Understanding the distributions and density of wild mammals is integral to the implementation of wildlife management strategies, particularly for controlling diseases and conservation management. Recent advances in camera trap technology together with the development of the Random Encounter Model have provided a non-invasive method for estimating mammal densities. In addition, the development of citizen science initiatives have advanced ecological data collection. This study describes a national camera trap survey delivered by local stakeholders in eleven forest sites in Kosovo from 2014 to 2015 to measure the distributions and abundance of medium to large wild mammals as part of the Control and/or eradication of animal diseases project. The Random Encounter Model was used to calculate density data for each species, which appear realistic when compared to densities found in other European countries. The study particularly focussed on the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and the grey wolf (Canis lupus) as potential vectors of rabies and wild boar (Sus scrofa) as a vector of classical swine fever. These species were found to be three of the most widely distributed species in Kosovo and were present at the majority of sites at high densities. The camera survey also provided information on species of conservation concern such as the Eurasian brown bear (Ursus arctos) and provided the first physical evidence of a live Eurasian golden jackal (Canis aureus) in Kosovo. Although sources of bias were identified, these estimates are likely to be more accurate than those devised from methods such as hunting bags and the findings of this study suggest that, with a moderate amount of development, camera trapping implemented by local stakeholders can be used as an effective and practicable method to estimate national distributions and population sizes of medium to large sized wild mammals.

scholarly journals First successful hand-rearing and release to the wild of two orphan brown bear cubs in Greece

2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 163
Author(s):  
A. Th. KOMNENOU ◽  
A. A. KARAMANLIDIS ◽  
G. M. KAZAKOS ◽  
A. P. KYRIAZIS ◽  
M. AVGERINOU ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Brown Bear ◽  
Rehabilitation Centre ◽  
Brown Bears ◽  
Rehabilitation Process ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Northwestern Greece ◽  
First Time ◽  
Management And Conservation ◽  
Conservation And Management

The rehabilitation and release of orphan brown bears (Ursus arctos) to the wild is of increasing importance in the conservation and management of the species. In April 2011 two orphan male brown bears were found and rehabilitated for the first time at a dedicated Bear Rehabilitation Centre in Greece. In this case report we describe in detail the veterinary procedures and the feeding regime followed during the 9-month rehabilitation process. For the release on the 23rd of January 2012 the two bears were anaesthetized with a combination of xylazine and ketamine, and satellite collars were placed on them for post-release monitoring. Eight hours later the bears were anaesthetized with the same mixture for a second time, transported and placed into an artificial den in the wild; recovery from anaesthesia took place without complications. Three months later the bears left the den and started moving in the wider area of northwestern Greece. We conclude that rehabilitation and release of orphan bears is an important tool in the management and conservation of this endangered species in Greece.

Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) Habitat Use and Food Resources on Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean D. Farley ◽  
Herman Griese ◽  
Rick Sinnott ◽  
Jessica Coltrane ◽  
Chris Garner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Air Force ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Brown Bear ◽  
Food Resources ◽  
Air Force Base

scholarly journals Using Landscape Change Analysis and Stakeholder Perspective to Identify Driving Forces of Human–Wildlife Interactions

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 146
Author(s):  
Mihai Mustățea ◽  
Ileana Pătru-Stupariu
Keyword(s):  
Landscape Change ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Brown Bear ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Change Analysis ◽  
Local Stakeholders ◽  
Stakeholder Perspective ◽  
Forested Ecosystems ◽  
Forest Habitats

Human–wildlife interactions (HWI) were frequent in the post-socialist period in the mountain range of Central European countries where forest habitats suffered transitions into built-up areas. Such is the case of the Upper Prahova Valley from Romania. In our study, we hypothesized that the increasing number of HWI after 1990 could be a potential consequence of woodland loss. The goal of our study was to analyse the effects of landscape changes on HWI. The study consists of the next steps: (i) applying 450 questionnaires to local stakeholders (both citizens and tourists) in order to collect data regarding HWI temporal occurrences and potential triggering factors; (ii) investigating the relation between the two variables through the Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA); (iii) modelling the landscape spatial changes between 1990 and 2018 for identifying areas with forest loss; (iv) overlapping the distribution of both the households affected by HWI and areas with loss of forested ecosystems. The local stakeholders indicate that the problematic species are the brown bear (Ursus arctos), the wild boar (Sus scrofa), the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and the grey wolf (Canis lupus). The number of animal–human interactions recorded an upward trend between 1990 and 2018, and the most significant driving factors were the regulation of hunting practices, the loss of habitats, and artificial feeding. The landscape change analysis reveals that between 1990 and 2018, the forest habitats were replaced by built-up areas primarily on the outskirts of settlements, these areas coinciding with frequent HWI. The results are valid for both forest ecosystems conservation in the region, wildlife management, and human infrastructures durable spatial planning.

Plasma ochratoxin A in the European brown bear ( Ursus arctos L.) from Croatia

2017 ◽  
Vol 280 ◽  
pp. S198
Author(s):  
Dubravka Rašić ◽  
Maja Lazarus ◽  
Đuro Huber ◽  
Slaven Reljić ◽  
Maja Peraica
Keyword(s):  
Ochratoxin A ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Brown Bear

scholarly journals Fallot's Tetralogy in a European Brown Bear (Ursus arctos)

2005 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 825-828 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Ågren ◽  
Arne Söderberg ◽  
Torsten Mörner
Keyword(s):  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Brown Bear ◽  
Fallot's Tetralogy ◽  
Fallot’S Tetralogy

scholarly journals Phenological synchronization disrupts trophic interactions between Kodiak brown bears and salmon

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (39) ◽  
pp. 10432-10437 ◽  
Author(s):  
William W. Deacy ◽  
Jonathan B. Armstrong ◽  
William B. Leacock ◽  
Charles T. Robbins ◽  
David D. Gustine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sockeye Salmon ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Brown Bear ◽  
Switching Behavior ◽  
Air Temperatures ◽  
Trophic Resources ◽  
Energy Flows ◽  
Strength Of Interaction ◽  
Prey Interaction

Climate change is altering the seasonal timing of life cycle events in organisms across the planet, but the magnitude of change often varies among taxa [Thackeray SJ, et al. (2016) Nature 535:241–245]. This can cause the temporal relationships among species to change, altering the strength of interaction. A large body of work has explored what happens when coevolved species shift out of sync, but virtually no studies have documented the effects of climate-induced synchronization, which could remove temporal barriers between species and create novel interactions. We explored how a predator, the Kodiak brown bear (Ursus arctos middendorffi), responded to asymmetric phenological shifts between its primary trophic resources, sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) and red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa). In years with anomalously high spring air temperatures, elderberry fruited several weeks earlier and became available during the period when salmon spawned in tributary streams. Bears departed salmon spawning streams, where they typically kill 25–75% of the salmon [Quinn TP, Cunningham CJ, Wirsing AJ (2016) Oecologia 183:415–429], to forage on berries on adjacent hillsides. This prey switching behavior attenuated an iconic predator–prey interaction and likely altered the many ecological functions that result from bears foraging on salmon [Helfield JM, Naiman RJ (2006) Ecosystems 9:167–180]. We document how climate-induced shifts in resource phenology can alter food webs through a mechanism other than trophic mismatch. The current emphasis on singular consumer-resource interactions fails to capture how climate-altered phenologies reschedule resource availability and alter how energy flows through ecosystems.

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