Sharing trails with Grizzlies in the Rocky Mountain National Parks – We Can All Just Get Along! Sarah Elmeligi – Canmore resident and PhD Candidate Central Queensland University
“Grizzly bear management is usually just as much people management”
Outline Who am I? What am I doing? Interdisciplinary research objectives Where am I doing it? Study area How am I doing it? Mixed methods approach What have I found so far? Visitor survey results Remote camera results What’s the big deal? Management implications Next steps
What have I found? – Visitor Survey Half of people (51.7%) took Significant differences in support for management options when a lone grizzly bear is in the area (as opposed to a female with cubs) preparatory steps for their 0.3 recreation experience in bear 0.2 country; 37.4% of people had 0.1 Value amma Valu 0 bear spray. -0.1 Gam General ranking of -0.2 -0.3 management options overall: -0.4 Open Times Book in Advance No management action Groups More than 4 Maximum 50 required Reroute Trail people per day Relocate No Dogs Groups less than 8 Aversive Conditioning Trail Closed Encourage more people Warning Sign to hike trail Man anag agement Opti ption
What have I found? – GPS Fall Habitat Quality ↑ ; ↑ use by grizzly bears Distance to Road ↑ ; ↓use by grizzly bears Distance to Trail ↑ ; ↓use by grizzly bears Spring Habitat Quality ↑ ; ↑ use by grizzly bears Distance to Road ↑ ; ↑ use by grizzly bears Distance to Trail ↑ ; ↑ use by grizzly bears Summer Habitat Quality ↑ ; ↑ use by grizzly bears
What have I found - GPS
What have I found? – Remote Cameras Images of people entered for analysis: Low Human Use: 2,624 Med Human Use: 55,848 High Human Use: 88,927 Total: 147,399 Images of grizzly bears entered for analysis: Low Human Use: 22 Med Human Use: 19 High Human Use: 12 Total: 53
What have I found? – Remote Camera Habitat Quality ↑ ; ↑ chance of catching a bear Human Use ↑ ; ↓ chance of catching a bear Time of Day ↑ ; ↓ chance of catching a bear Activity Type ↑ ; ↓ chance of catching a bear Distance to Road ↑ ; ↓ chance of catching a bear Time of Day: Dawn/Dusk Night Day Activity Type: Hiker Runner Horse Rider Vehicle Biker
Two streams of management approaches
Thank you Thank you’s : My 100+ volunteers; my volunteer interns; my supervisory committee of geniuses Gordon Stenhouse and the Foothills Research Institute; Parks Canada Lafarge; Banff Community Foundation CPAWS Southern Alberta, Wildsmart Central Queensland University; University of Cumbria
Coexistence – it’s up to you… More Info and Volunteer opportunities for What does it mean to coexist? you! What we do as individuals or My research blog: as a community to better www.grizzlyresearchrockies.wordpress.com coexist with bears? Parks Canada volunteer program: http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn- np/ab/banff/edu/benevole-volunteer.aspx Kananaskis Country volunteer program: http://www.albertaparks.ca/kananaskis- country/volunteering Wildsmart: www.wildsmart.ca
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