Nuisance Black Bears

POP QUIZ:POP QUIZ: Do these foods haveDo these foods haveanythinganything in common? in common?

25hamburgers

3 kgnuts

8 ½cheese pizzas

36 kgfruit

3 ½ kgsunflower seeds

NUISANCE BLACK BEARSNUISANCE BLACK BEARS

Meghann CantFebruary 25, 2008

OBJECTIVESOBJECTIVES

• What are “nuisance” black bears?

• How are they created?

• What can be done about them?

A NUISANCE BEARA NUISANCE BEAR

• Comes into conflict with humans

• Usually food is involved

• Also called a “problem” bear

BECOMING A NUISANCE BEARBECOMING A NUISANCE BEAR

FOOD-CONDITIONINGFOOD-CONDITIONING

• An attraction to unnatural food sources

• Examples:– garbage– compost– pet food– bird feeders

HABITUATIONHABITUATION

• The toleration of a human presence

• Learns to ignore or even intimidate people to get food

DEALING WITH A NUISANCE BEARDEALING WITH A NUISANCE BEAR

AVERSIVE CONDITIONINGAVERSIVE CONDITIONING

• Chasing, scaring, or inflicting pain

• Effective for how long?

• Basically…

AVERSIVE CONDITIONINGAVERSIVE CONDITIONING

(McCarthy and Seavoy 1994)

TRANSLOCATIONTRANSLOCATION

• Sedated or trapped and released in a new location

• Ideal distance?

• Well…

It depends on the bear!(Hristienko and McDonald 2007)

TRANSLOCATIONTRANSLOCATION

(Landriault et al. 2006)

PROBLEMSPROBLEMS

• Effectiveness?

• Methodology?

• Alternatives?

ANY QUESTIONS?ANY QUESTIONS?

Photos courtesy of Verity Catt