More information on the Carnivores and Communities Program can be found here. 

To view, save or print a PDF of the poster click here.

The post Carnivores and Communities Meetings December 4 & 5, 2019 appeared first on Waterton Biosphere Region.

More information on the Carnivores and Communities Program can be found here. 

The post Carnivores and Communities Meetings Feb. 27th & 28th 2019 appeared first on Waterton Biosphere Region.

June 28, 2016, Twin Butte, Alberta – In 2011, Dr. Andrea Morehouse embarked on the Southwest Alberta Grizzly Bear Monitoring Project (GBMP), a collaborative effort between the University of Alberta, Alberta Environment and Parks, and Parks Canada, with the goal of generating an accurate population estimate of grizzly bears in the southwestern corner of Alberta in Bear Management Area 6 (BMA6).  Using non-invasive DNA analysis the project collected hair samples from 899 rub objects during 2011-2014 which were then sent to a lab for testing.

On June 28^th, 2016 Dr. Morehouse presented the final results from the GBMP at the Waterton Biosphere Reserve Association (WBRA) Annual General Meeting held at the Twin Butte Community Hall in Twin Butte, Alberta, located right in the heart of grizzly country.

While most folks came to the AGM to hear the grizzly bear population statistics for the area, Dr. Morehouse provided attendees with a great deal of insight about the other aspects of the project.  This included information on learned behavior in bears and how the distribution of grizzly bear incidents in southwestern Alberta has changed over the years.

Map showing Bear Management Areas in Alberta. Photo credit: Alberta Environment and Parks Draft Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan. Click to enlarge.

In 2007 the province estimated there were 51 grizzly bears in BMA 6.  When compared with grizzly bear densities in other parts of the province this represented the highest density of bears in Alberta at 18 bears/1000 km sq.  The final results of the 2011-2014 GBMP in this area updated the population estimates to 67 resident bears with a larger population of 172 grizzly bears that use the area.  This correlates to a population density of 20.4 grizzly bears/1000 km sq. in the Recovery Zone, and 17.1/1000‎ km sq. in the Support Zone.   The Recovery Zone and Support Zone are defined within the new draft Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan.  Southwestern Alberta continues to have the highest density grizzly bear population in the province.

The grizzly bears in BMA 6 are a part of a larger Rocky Mountain sub-population of over 1000 grizzly bears that includes bears in British Columbia and Montana.  In fact, over 50% of the bears identified through the GBMP were also detected in southeastern BC and northern Montana. “There is no ecological basis for partitioning an Alberta portion of this larger grizzly bear population, which makes producing meaningful density and abundance estimates challenging,” said Morehouse.  “These numbers, however, are necessary because grizzly bears are managed on state and provincial boundaries.  The new abundance estimate represents a 4% per year increase in the grizzly bear population since 2007, which is remarkably similar to recent population growth estimates from Montana.  While there is variability around all of these estimates, it is clear that the grizzly bear population in BMA6 has not declined.”

Since 1999 there has been a significant increase in grizzly bear incidents with people or property in southwestern Alberta.  From 1999 through 2014, the majority of grizzly bear incidents in southwestern Alberta (BMA 6 and the southern portion of BMA 5) were related to attractants (55.3%) followed by incidents that involved the killing or injury of livestock (39.5%).  Of the incidents involving attractants, 43% were related to grain storage, 37% were related to deadstock and the remainder involved pet food, garbage, vegetation, silage, bee hives, bird feeders or campsites.

As part of Dr. Morehouse’s research she also evaluated evidence of social learning of conflict behaviours.   Could it be that young bears were learning bad behavior from their parents or even inheriting it genetically? Using genotypes from 2043 grizzly bears from British Columbia, Montana and Alberta, along with Alberta conflict records, Dr. Morehouse was able to identify a link between incidents involving parent bears and their offspring.

“We found some evidence of social learning of conflict behaviours.  Cubs stay with their moms for 2-3 years during which time learning could take place,” said Morehouse.   “For this reason it is particularly important to try and discourage problem behavior from developing in the first place”.

Bear outside of electric at a Carnivores and Communities project.

In an effort to reduce conflict with large carnivores, the Waterton Biosphere Reserve Association implemented the Carnivores and Communities program in 2009, building upon the work already being done by local ranchers.    The Carnivores and Communities program provides support to farmers and ranchers to reduce attractants on their property.   This includes securing grain storage and deadstock removal, two of the main attractants identified in Morehouse’s report.  The WBRA also provides support for electric fencing and has bear resistant garbage bins available to rural residents in the program area.

“We know we can’t totally eliminate conflict with large carnivores, but what we can do is help landowners reduce the risk on their property through these projects”, said Jeff Bectell, WBRA Chair and Co-ordinator of the Carnivores and Communities program who also presented at the WBRA meeting.

The Carnivores and Communities program is primarily funded by the governments of Alberta and Canada but has also been supported by many other organizations.   “We couldn’t do this without the support of the local community.   This has always been a program driven by our farmers and ranchers who all deserve a thank you for not only looking after valuable grizzly bear habitat through good land stewardship, but also for being willing to undertake projects to minimize conflict with these animals,” says Bectell.

While the farmers and ranchers in southwestern Alberta are working to reduce attractants on the landscape, there is one attractant that will be hard to remove without giving up their livelihood and that is livestock.

Dr. Morehouse’s research comes at a critical time as the province of Alberta is currently updating their Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan.  As a part of the draft plan the province has allocated $150 000 to the Waterton Biosphere Reserve Association to continue projects aimed at reducing attractants.

“We appreciate the support that we have received so far.  Most farmers and ranchers appreciate the value of large carnivores on the landscape but the fact is these animals come with a cost, both economically and socially.” – Jeff Bectell.

For more information visit:

The Waterton Biosphere Reserve Association (WBRA):
www.watertonbiosphere.com
WBRA Carnivores and Communities Program
https://www.watertonbiosphere.com/projects/carnivores-communities/
Grizzly Bear Monitoring Project in Southwestern Alberta
http://aep.alberta.ca/fish-wildlife/wildlife-management/grizzly-bear-research/southwest-alberta-grizzly-monitoring/default.aspx
Research paper prepared by Andrea T. Morehouse and Mark S. Boyce – June 2016 – University of Alberta
Grizzly Bears Without Borders: Spatially Explicit Capture–Recapture in Southwestern Alberta
Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan
Overview of proposed Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan (4 pages)
Draft Alberta Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan (2016-2021)

For media inquires or further information please contact:

Jennifer Jenkins
Communications Coordinator
Waterton Biosphere Reserve Association
Email: jjenkins@watertonbiosphere.com
Phone: 403 627 9598

The post Southwestern Alberta continues to have the highest grizzly bear population density in the province. appeared first on Waterton Biosphere Region.

The purpose of this update is to keep residents in the Waterton Biosphere Reserve area informed regarding grizzly bear relocations due to conflict incidents through to August 1, 2015.

Photo credit: Stephen Harrington Photography

As in past years, there have been a number of bear and wolf sightings, and incidents, since late winter.  In particular there have been ten grizzly bears relocated from within the Cardston, Pincher Creek and Claresholm Fish and Wildlife districts.  Eight of these relocations were the due to livestock depredation by grizzly bears, and two were due to grizzlies persistently remaining in close proximity to homes.  Of the eight bears relocated due to livestock conflict, there were two groups of sows with two cubs each (one set of this year’s cubs and one set of last year’s cubs) that comprised 6 of the 8 bears, the other two relocations involved individual bears. Some of these incidents are in areas that have seen problems in past years and some are occurring further east.  Some of the recent relocations due to livestock depredation occurred north of Glenwood in the M.D. of Willow Creek, and in the Aetna/Kimball area of Cardston County, as well as further east of Cardston on the Milk River Ridge.  Nine of the ten relocated bears were moved to the Nordegg or Grand Prairie regions, with only one nuisance bear being relocated within southern Alberta.  There was also one grizzly mortality due to a motor vehicle collision.

People are encouraged to report sightings and incidents to their local Fish and Wildlife office.  The Waterton Biosphere Reserve Association continues to operate it’s Carnivores and Communities Program, including deadstock pickup, and other on farm projects such as ‘bear proofing’ grain bins, and electric fence projects.  Please contact us if you have questions about this program, or may be interested in doing a project.  We appreciate Alberta Fish and Wildlife (Solicitor General) providing the information for this update.

We plan to share another update later in the fall of 2015, which will cover grizzly bear relocations due to conflict incidents occurring after August 1, 2015.  This information will be shared on the news page of our website, though you may also be interested in signing up for our newsletter so you don’t miss important updates.

Contact us:

Email:  info@watertonbiosphere.com

Newsletter sign-up: https://www.watertonbiosphere.com/biosphere-get-involved/

Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/WatertonBiosphereReserve

The post MIDSUMMER WATERTON BIOSPHERE RESERVE LARGE CARNIVORE UPDATE appeared first on Waterton Biosphere Region.

Sharing the Range on the big screen at the Remington Carriage Museum Theatre

Cardston, AB – May 8th, 2015 – Sharing the Range, a film about the challenges of living with large carnivores premiered in Cardston, Alberta on May 8^th.   The short film, just fifteen minutes in length, provides a glimpse into the lives of farmers and ranchers in southwestern Alberta who share their land with a high population density of grizzly bears.

Produced by the Waterton Biosphere Reserve, Sharing the Range provides spectacular images of grizzly bears raising their cubs alongside people and cattle.  It also tells the story of the people that raise the cattle, and their families here.

The film premiered to a full house, a testimony to the number of people who care about the farm and ranch families in the area, along with the grizzly bears who also call this special area home.

In Sharing the Range, local ranchers talk about the concerns they have for the safety of their families and their livestock.   They share examples of the work that farmers and ranchers have done to reduce the risk of conflict with grizzly bears.  Many landowners have carried out attractant management projects and made operational changes to allow for coexistence with bears.  Still, the people in this area are facing significant conflicts with large carnivores.  These conflicts can have a serious impact on their lives, both in terms of safety and economics, along with the stress that comes from both worries.

“In the past week we have lost two calves to grizzly bears, with a third calf badly injured – it might not make it either,” Jen Jenkins, local rancher, told the crowd following the premiere.   Her family respects the wildlife on their ranch, but in the last few years are seeing an increase in losses to bears.   “For most of my life I only remember ever losing a handful of cattle to carnivores, maybe 6 head in 20 plus years.  Since 2013 we have lost 9 head directly to bears, and probably another 10 head due to secondary problems associated with attacks on our cattle.   We do everything we can to protect our livestock and allow the bears space to roam, but the challenges are still there. ”

Following the premiere in Cardston, folks gather for some interesting discussion on grizzly bears and the future of ranching in southwestern Alberta.

Sharing the Range tells the story of the important role that farmers and ranchers play in looking after the environment in southwestern Alberta and the hard work involved in sustaining healthy habitat for wildlife, including grizzly bears.  It also makes a call for people to consider the responsibility we all have in managing wildlife and how we can better support the families that are on the land, day to day facing the challenges of living with grizzly bears and other large carnivores.

“We hope that people will recognize the effort being made by landowners to coexist with large carnivores and will provide their support to those efforts” says Jeff Bectell, rancher, Waterton Biosphere Reserve Association Chair and Coordinator of the WBR Carnivore Working Group. “Both financial and political support is needed to continue deadstock pickup and conflict reduction projects, to see producers fairly compensated for livestock killed by predators, and to implement a grizzly bear recovery plan that allows for bear management that is effective not only for grizzly bears but also for the safety and livelihood of farm and ranch families.”

View Sharing the Range and learn more about the film:  www.sharingtherange.com

Additional showing dates:

Pincher Creek & District Municipal Library

May 14th, 7pm

Waterton Lakes Opera House
Thursday May 21st at 7pm
Following the movie we invite you to stay for music, food and drinks withPetunia and Tin and the Toad

Twin Butte Community Hall – TBA

Maycroft Bear Safety Workshop
May 27th at 1pm – exact location TBA

Waterton Wildflower Festival
June 24th 2015, details TBA

The post Watch Sharing the Range – A newly released short film about ranchers living with grizzly bears in southwestern Alberta appeared first on Waterton Biosphere Region.

A film about ranch families living with grizzly bears in the Waterton Biosphere Reserve to be released May 8^th, 2015.

Pincher Creek, AB – April 29, 2015 – The Waterton Biosphere Reserve is proud to announce the upcoming release of a short film, Sharing the Range, on May 8, 2015. The film tells the story about the challenges of living with large carnivores and how people in the Waterton Biosphere Reserve (WBR) are meeting those challenges.

The southwestern corner of Alberta, Canada, where the Waterton Biosphere Reserve is located, is home to a large number of people involved with agriculture; it is also home to a high population density of bears. With so many people and carnivores sharing the same habitat, there are bound to be conflicts.

Click on poster to enlarge

“We have bears in all this country; lots of sows with little cubs. They’ve denned near here – so it’s not just in the mountains and not just on public lands that we are seeing a lot of grizzly bears. It’s on private lands all over the place.” Jeff Bectell, rancher, Waterton Biosphere Reserve Association Chair and Coordinator of the WBR Carnivore Working Group

In response to the community’s need to find solutions for dealing with large carnivores, The Waterton Biosphere Reserve Association (WBRA)  embarked on a multi-solution,  long term project called “Carnivores and Communities”.

The project takes a multi-level approach, including initiatives such as providing on the ground support to help people reduce carnivore attractants on their farms and ranches, proposing changes to the provincial carnivore compensation program, and supporting the monitoring of grizzly bear, black bear and wolf populations in the area.

The previous population estimate for the area was 51 grizzly bears. Current research has identified 177 individual grizzly bears that used and were detected within the study area between 2011 and 2013; with 128 grizzly bears being detected in 2013 alone.  Additionally well over 100 farms and ranches have successfully completed projects on their property to reduce potential conflicts with large carnivores, or have participated in the deadstock removal program.

As the Waterton Biosphere Reserve has worked with the local community and wildlife managers to address the issues of living with large carnivores, the need has arisen to share the story of the farmers and ranchers who directly face the many challenges of living with large carnivores; challenges that impact both their livelihood and the safety of their families.   Despite these challenges, southwestern Alberta families are working hard to solve the problems that arise when animals like bears and wolves share the landscape with people and agriculture. It is important for people who care about large carnivores, and people who care about the landscapes of southwestern Alberta, to recognize the effort spent and costs incurred by farmers and ranchers stewarding these lands.

And so it is that Sharing the Range was produced, offering a glimpse into the lives of farm and ranch families and their struggle to share the land with large carnivores. The farmers and ranchers of the Waterton Biosphere Reserve appreciate the unique landscape in which they live, knowing that their land is prime habitat for wildlife. However, making a living in this environment is not without challenges and wildlife can pose significant concerns for rural families in terms of safety and economics; along with the stress that comes from both worries.

Sharing the Range tells their story:  real people, with real families who work hard to produce healthy food in a sustainable way that allows room for large carnivores to roam.

“I wish we had a better way of communicating with the general public about who we are. Often I think people misunderstand farmers’ and ranchers’ feelings about wildlife.  What I would like people to know is that we enjoy seeing a grizzly bear or big bull elk as much as anyone, but when our livelihood and our families are threatened by wildlife over which we have little control, it can be very upsetting to us. My hope is that Sharing the Range will allow people a glimpse into our lives, and a better understanding of the situation which we are living in here in southwestern Alberta.“ – Tony Bruder, rancher and Area Coordinator for the WBRA Carnivore Working Group

Leanne Allison, filmmaker

Filmed by award winning filmmaker Leanne Allison, with footage contributed by Jeff Turner, famous cinematographer and wildlife filmmaker; Sharing the Range not only tells an important story of the people in the Waterton Biosphere Reserve, but offers stunning imagery of southwestern Alberta and the grizzlies who call this area home.

The full documentary will premiere May 8^th, 2015 at 7pm in the Remington Carriage House Theatre, Cardston, AB.  Everyone is welcome, and we hope you will join us.

View the Sharing the Range trailer and learn more about the film:  www.sharingtherange.com

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