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 The Alaskan Department of Fish and Game is conducting a multi-year
survey to determine the effect of humans on bears at Alaskan
salmon streams. They are using animal care professionals to participate
in this field study. Ten groups of five volunteers each joined
up with an Alaskan Department of Fish and Game biologist for
six days of in situ data collection of bear behaviors from July
through September. Full time zoo employees are utilized to provide
the project research team with viewers possessing experience
observing and working near wildlife. The AZA Bear TAG supports
this project. Laurie Trechsel and Karla Anderson, Tropics Zookeepers,
collected data with this project from Aug 21 through Aug 29,
2004. This is a non-stipend, volunteer project and those involved
had to pay their own expenses. The Ulysses S. Seal Conservation Grant Program awarded Laurie and Karla a total of $1000 to cover transportation
from Anchorage, AK to the bear study site.
Human and wild animal conflicts are a problem. Conservation
biologists are often confronted with this issue when establishing
management plans. The encroachment of human populations into
an animal’s habitat, as in the case of the tiger/human
conflict, result in deadly encounters with humans. The opposite
can be said when referring to the wolf/human conflict. The wolf
population is expanding into historical ranges that humans now
inhabit. The result is wolves being killed. In the case of the
Alaskan brown bear, tourism is the stress factor. The bears are
going about their annual foraging behaviors during the salmon
runs near Homer, Alaska on the Kenai peninsula. Large numbers
of bears congregate at these streams and have become a tourist
attraction for those visiting the Homer area. This study is intended
to gather important data on brown bear responses to these human
intrusions.
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