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

Komnenou, Anastasia; Karamanlidis, A. A.; Kazakos, George; Kyriazis, Angelos; Avgerinou, M.; Papakostas, George I.; Stefanidis, K.; Beecham, John

doi:10.12681/jhvms.15634

Cited by 36 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 12 publications

(18 reference statements)

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“…As a result, our cubs were roughly twice as heavy as wild bears would generally be at an equivalent age (e.g., Noyce & Garshelis 1998;Clark et al 2002). Similar fast growth rates were observed for Brown Bears U. arctos and American Black Bears that were fed supplemental food (Rausch 1961;Huber et al 1993;Komnenou et al 2016).…”

Section: Cub Growthsupporting

confidence: 63%

First attempt at rehabilitation of Asiatic Black Bear cubs to the wild in Thailand

Steinmetz¹,

Phumanee²,

Phoonjampa³

et al. 2021

J. Threat. Taxa

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Returning orphan bear cubs to the wild can benefit bear welfare and conservation but is hindered in Asia by the scarcity of documented experience. We experimented with rehabilitation of two Asiatic Black Bear cubs in Thailand using the assisted method of soft-release. We raised the 5-month old cubs for 11 months with minimal human contact in a remote enclosure in high quality habitat, letting cubs out periodically to walk with caretakers in the forest. The caretakers acted as surrogate mothers, allowing cubs to safely acquire foraging skills and familiarity with the forest. Supplementary feeding resulted in the cubs’ rapid weight gain (average 157g/day), faster than would occur in the wild. Faster growth allowed the cubs to be released sooner, reducing the likelihood of long-term habituation. After three months of rehabilitation, the bear cubs started showing signs of being wary of the caretakers (e.g., cautious when we approached their enclosure) and their focus during walks switched from play to foraging. After seven months they began to spend nights away from their enclosure, thus declining the supplemental food. This sequence and timing of increasing separation and independence from people matched other assisted soft releases in the region. The cubs went missing in month 12, shortly before planned collaring and release. They were seen together 2.5 months later on a fruiting tree and ran away when approached. Assisted soft releases might be a promising option for bear rehabilitation in Asia but more data are needed to evaluate their effectiveness relative to other methods. This method affords direct observations of bears in the wild that can augment our knowledge of bear behavior and ecology.

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Section: Cub Growthsupporting

confidence: 63%

First attempt at rehabilitation of Asiatic Black Bear cubs to the wild in Thailand

Steinmetz¹,

Phumanee²,

Phoonjampa³

et al. 2021

J. Threat. Taxa

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“…to re-establish a breeding population within a previously occupied area; Lovegrove, 1991) were included, provided the target animals were wild (not bred in captivity) and artificial refuges were designed for long-term natural refuge supplementation or replacement and not for soft release or transportation purposes (e.g. Komnenou et al, 2016).…”

Section: Methods (1) Study Selectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Artificial refuges for wildlife conservation: what is the state of the science?

et al. 2021

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Artificial refuges are human-made structures that aim to create safe places for animals to breed, hibernate, or take shelter in lieu of natural refuges. Artificial refuges are used across the globe to mitigate the impacts of a variety of threats on wildlife, such as habitat loss and degradation. However, there is little understanding of the science underpinning artificial refuges, and what comprises best practice for artificial refuge design and implementation for wildlife conservation. We address this gap by undertaking a systematic review of the current state of artificial refuge research for the conservation of wildlife. We identified 224 studies of artificial refuges being implemented in the field to conserve wildlife species. The current literature on artificial refuges is dominated by studies of arboreal species, primarily birds and bats. Threatening processes addressed by artificial refuges were biological resource use (26%), invasive or problematic species (20%), and agriculture (15%), yet few studies examined artificial refuges specifically for threatened (Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered) species (7%). Studies often reported the characteristics of artificial refuges (i.e. refuge size, construction materials; 87%) and surrounding vegetation (35%), but fewer studies measured the thermal properties of artificial refuges (18%), predator activity (17%), or food availability (3%). Almost all studies measured occupancy of the artificial refuges by target species (98%), and over half measured breeding activity (54%), whereas fewer included more detailed measures of fitness, such as breeding productivity (34%) or animal body condition (4%). Evaluating the benefits and impacts of artificial refuges requires sound experimental design, but only 39% of studies compared artificial refuges to experimental controls, and only 10% of studies used a before-after-control-impact (BACI) design. As a consequence, few studies of artificial refuges can determine their overall effect on individuals or populations. We outline a series of key steps in the design, implementation, and monitoring of artificial refuges that are required to avoid perverse outcomes and maximise the chances of achieving conservation objectives. This review highlights a clear need for increased rigour in studies of artificial refuges if they are to play an important role in wildlife conservation.

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Bears of the World

2020

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Bears have fascinated people since ancient times. The relationship between bears and humans dates back thousands of years, during which time we have also competed with bears for shelter and food. In modern times, bears have come under pressure through encroachment on their habitats, climate change, and illegal trade in their body parts, including the Asian bear bile market. The IUCN lists six bears as vulnerable or endangered, and even the least concern species, such as the brown bear, are at risk of extirpation in certain countries. The poaching and international trade of these most threatened populations are prohibited, but still ongoing. Covering all bears species worldwide, this beautifully illustrated volume brings together the contributions of 200 international bear experts on the ecology, conservation status, and management of the Ursidae family. It reveals the fascinating long history of interactions between humans and bears and the threats affecting these charismatic species.

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

Cited by 36 publications

References 12 publications

First attempt at rehabilitation of Asiatic Black Bear cubs to the wild in Thailand

First attempt at rehabilitation of Asiatic Black Bear cubs to the wild in Thailand

Artificial refuges for wildlife conservation: what is the state of the science?

Bears of the World

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