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Coyotes-Wolves-Cougars.blogspot.com

Grizzly bears, black bears, wolves, coyotes, cougars/ mountain lions,bobcats, wolverines, lynx, foxes, fishers and martens are the suite of carnivores that originally inhabited North America after the Pleistocene extinctions. This site invites research, commentary, point/counterpoint on that suite of native animals (predator and prey) that inhabited The Americas circa 1500-at the initial point of European exploration and subsequent colonization. Landscape ecology, journal accounts of explorers and frontiersmen, genetic evaluations of museum animals, peer reviewed 20th and 21st century research on various aspects of our "Wild America" as well as subjective commentary from expert and layman alike. All of the above being revealed and discussed with the underlying goal of one day seeing our Continent rewilded.....Where big enough swaths of open space exist with connective corridors to other large forest, meadow, mountain, valley, prairie, desert and chaparral wildlands.....Thereby enabling all of our historic fauna, including man, to live in a sustainable and healthy environment. - Blogger Rick

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Sunday, January 24, 2016

Just like many carnivores will look to save critical energy output by using human created logging roads, hiking trails and electrical transmissions right-of-ways to move quickly and more efficiently through their territories, Researchers have found that female Grizzlies(especially those with cubs) in Alberta, British Columbia, Canada are utilizing abandoned mine sites as core territory............It is felt that the bears have discovered that wandering male bears(who will kill cubs to bring females back into uterus) tend to stay clear of these mine pits,,,,,,,,,,,,and that the sites often feature food caches in the form of clover, dandelions and alfalfa--planted there during mine reclamation work

https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-grizzly-bears-seek-out-old-mine-sites-u-of-a-researchers-find-1.3405622&ct=ga&cd=CAEYACoTODY3OTAyMzg0NDg3NzYwNzAyMDIaNTZkMWU3ZjE5ZThmOTk5MTpjb206ZW46VVM&usg=AFQjCNF4-4gI2MiayksxnbQ29E9Bt4plqA


Alberta grizzly bears seek out old mine sites, U of A researchers find

In their search for safe habitat, some grizzly bears in the foothills west of Edmonton have moved into former open-pit mine sites, according to a new study done by researchers at the University of Alberta.
The study, recently published in Nature Scientific Reports, tracked 18 grizzly bears wearing GPS collars in the foothills near Hinton.
The researchers concluded that mining has not been a deterrent to bears, and that in some instances the animals actually sought out the sites as places of protection.





"This study, done by some colleagues of mine, suggests that grizzly bears might be a little more adaptable than people have assumed in the kinds of habitat they can occupy," said Colleen Cassady St. Clair, a professor of biological science at the U of A.
The nine-year study looked at two closed mine sites near Hinton. Researchers found that mother bears were more likely to spend time at the mines than were lone females or males.
One reason for that, said Cassady St. Clair, may be that female bears may seek out mines as safe places, hoping to keep away from male bears, which have been known to kill cubs.
It could be that female bears are being pushed out of undisturbed habitat by male bears. Or the bears who frequent the mine sites may have learned there are good food sources to be found there, such as dandelions, clover and alfalfa.
Bears may also have learned that there are no hunters near the closed mines, said Cassady St. Clair.

Protecting grizzly bears

Grizzly bears were declared a threatened species in Alberta in 2010. Though they cannot be legally hunted, the bears fall victim to road traffic or poachers, or can be killed when they come in close contact with humans who are forced to shoot them in self-protection.
Whatever the case, Cassady St. Clair said the best way to protect grizzly bears would be to limit their opportunities to come in contact with people.
"Getting used to hanging around with people, generally that is not a good situation for bears," she said. "Especially grizzly bears. It doesn't tend to end well for the bear.

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