University of Rhode Island biologists are seeking to determine if the Black Bears showing up in the state are part of a reproducing population or simply males wandering out of Connecticut seeking females that are nowhere to be found................The Rhode Island Dept. of Environmental Management states “With neighboring states having established populations of black bear, Rhode Island now has black bears within its borders"................. The Black Bear Society estimates 10 black bears in Rhode Island, but do not cite the source of this estimate................Although there is no historic data about the bear population in Rhode Island, it’s believed they were wiped out during Colonial days, along with mountain lions, wild turkeys and wolves..............Bear populations in neighboring New England States are estimated to be ncreasing by 7 percent to 8 percent annually which may account for their range expansion into Rhode Island..

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Biologists researching black bear population in RI

By Macey Farnsworth with Shaun TownePublished: August 14, 2014, 1:11 pm  Updated: August 14, 2014, 4:58 pm

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A black bear in captivity waits for visitors to throw food into his pen at the the Maine Wildlife Park, Friday, July 25, 2014, in Gray, Maine. Bear hunters that use bait can begin placing the bait on Saturday. Bear bait is typically sugary human food such as doughnuts. A November ballot question could prohibit hunting Maine bear with bait, dogs, or traps. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) — Biologists from the University of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management are aiming to shed some light on the black bear population and movement in the state.

DEM wildlife biologist Charles Brown and URI research associate Amy Gottfried Mayer check for fur on a ‘bear detector’ in South Kingstown. (Nora Lewis

Previously it was thought that the black bears in Rhode Island where young males that were displaced from their mothers in Connecticut and Massachusetts. In recent years, however, there have been reports of females with cubs which suggests that Rhode Island may have a black bear breeding population.

URI Professor Thomas Husband and DEM biologist Charles Brown are leading the project and are in the process of assembling 42 “bear detectors” throughout the western part of the state. The detectors, which are made of barbed wire, have a scented lure in the middle to attract the bears. When they rub against the barbed wire they leave behind fur, which can be used for DNA testing and identification.

Down the road, researchers hope to be able to identify which bears are related to others and to determine their gene pool flow. This will help them track the repopulation of the bears into Rhode Island.

Adult black bear males grow from 150 to 450 pounds, while females weigh up to 250 pounds. Typically, they are found near forests but can adapt to many habitats. In the coming years, officials believe we may have to become more comfortable living among black bears.

“The challenge for wildlife managers in coming years is going to be finding the right balance between the number of bears that the habitat we have available can support, and the number of bears that people are willing to tolerate,” Brown explained.

Researchers will check the black bear detectors every week until winter, when the bears hibernate. Bright orange signs and reflective tape on the barbed wire will alert people to avoid the sites.

Later this year, Husband and Brown will conduct similar research on bobcats, another mammalian predator whose numbers and habits in RI are poorly known. Husband also aims to have GPS collars put on the bears in the future to better track their movements.