Research

Grizzly Bear Monitoring Strategy

NEW REPORT

Grizzly bear monitoring in the Mountain National Parks:
Mortalities and bear/human encounters. 1990-2007

Summary

• The first annual report on monitoring grizzly bear mortality and bear/human encounters in the mountain national parks is completed and will be available to the public.
• The report summarizes data from the seven mountain parks (Banff, Jasper, Yoho, Kootenay, Waterton, Mount Revelstoke and Glacier national parks) for 1990-2007.
• The report’s intent is to provide consolidated data and an annual reporting mechanism to assist Parks Canada in the development of grizzly bear population management and in coordinating these efforts with neighbouring jurisdictions.

Digital copies of the report are available by e-mail request to: Source@pc.gc.ca

Wardens and researchers use radio telemetry to monitor collared bears © Parks Canada/CD 2871 #98

The management plans for the four mountain National Parks identify grizzly bears to be an indicator species for the assessment of ecological integrity.

Between 1994-2001 the University of Calgary through what has been called the Eastern Slopes Grizzly Bear Project has led a research program that has provided extensive factual information among stakeholders, governments, and the general public concerning the status of grizzly bears in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. With that research phase finished there is a need to continue monitoring into the future to track population trends, and to assess the effects of land use decisions. Parks Canada has decided this work needs to continue, and has taken a leadership role in coordinating and financially supporting grizzly bear population monitoring. The program goal is to provide Parks Canada with the necessary knowledge to ensure the long-term conservation of grizzly bears in the Central Rockies Ecosystem and Banff National Park, in particular. Year-end reports will be posted on the East Slopes Grizzly Bear Project web site.

Eastern Slopes Grizzly Bear Project
The Eastern Slopes Grizzly Bear Project (ESGBP) was initiated in 1994 to address the urgent need for scientific information about the cumulative effect of human development and activities on grizzly bears in this area (eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta).

West Slopes Bear Research Project (see under Research Highlights)
In May 1994, the West Slopes Bear Research Project (WSBRP) commenced fieldwork to investigate several major questions concerning the status of grizzly bears and black bears in the Yoho-Golden-Glacier area of British Columbia.

Foothills Model Forest
The Foothills Model Forest Grizzly Bear Research Program was created in 1999 to provide knowledge and planning tools to land and resource managers to ensure the long-term conservation of grizzly bears in Alberta. Key to its efforts are sound scientific field research, practical results, and a large-scale or “landscape level” approach toward grizzly bear conservation.