Innovation Anthology #102: CEO
In her eight year study of black bears in northeastern Alberta, biologist Dr. Sophie Czetwertynski found several differences in the way female black bears behave, and this depends on whether hunting is allowed where they live.
By tracking their movements with GPS collars, Dr. Czetwetynski learned that females living in the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range – where hunting is not allowed – had smaller home ranges than females in the adjacent hunted areas.
The size of those ranges differed by a factor of four. Yet the females in both areas still travelled about the same distance every day.
DR SOPHIE CZETWERTYNSKI: And at first we thought well maybe it’s because there are these larger males in that area. But what happened when we removed those large adult males, is the females did not change their behavior at all. They still had these small home ranges and they were still moving that large amount within these small home ranges. And so what we think is happening is actually that it’s not so much the males that are affecting that movement, but it’s their neighbouring females that are restricting them to these smaller home ranges.
The next question for Dr. Czetwetynski is how female black bears interact, and if they kill the cubs of neighibouring females.
Thanks today to the Alberta Conservation Association.
FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY, I’M CHERYL CROUCHER
Guest
Chris Lumb,
TEC Edmonton, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,
Sponsor
Program Date: 2008-01-24