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Yukon Southern Lakes Region Grizzly Bear Population Study
Environment Yukon is studying grizzly bears in the Yukon Southern Lakes Region. Starting June, 2009 the study will take at least five years to complete and combines a number of projects designed to give wildlife managers important information about the grizzly bear population in the region.
Environment Yukon’s Carnivore Biologist Ramona Maraj spoke to CBC Yukon’s Dave White about the Southern Lakes project on May 27, 2009.
Download Interview Audio 
mp3 7.2 MB
Residents, Hunters and Visitors to the Southern Lakes Region, Please Be Aware...Tubes Traps - will be set throughout the Southern Lakes area (between Tagish Lake and Kusawa Lake, from the Alaska Highway South to B.C. border). Signs will be posted near these traps to warn people to stay away. Avoid areas with these signs. If you come across a trap you should leave the area immediately. For additional information, see the Southern Lakes Bear Traps Poster Report Collared Bears - If you see a collared bear, please report it to a Fish and Wildlife Office. Please provide a description of the bear, a location, time and date, and information on what it was doing. If you have a GPS unit, record the location. Environment Yukon and local communities invest a lot of time and money in wildlife studies - Collared animals are important to the success of any research. If you accidentally shoot a collared bear, there are no penalties as long as you report the kill and return the collar to Environment Yukon. Animals that wear or have worn collars are very important. They provide information that helps wildlife managers understand the way they use the land, their relationship with other species and how human activities affect them. These animals should be protected and deserve our respect for the information they have provided and continue to provide about themselves and their species. Hunters Check for Tatoos - If you are hunting in or near the Southern Lakes area and you kill either a black or grizzly bear, it is important to check the inside of the lip for tattoos. A tattoo indicates that the bear has been tranquilized at some time as part of a research program. Fish and Wildlife staff can tell you if it the meat is edible. Tattoos may fade over time so it is important to look carefully. If you are unsure, bring in the bear to a Fish and Wildlife office. |
440 KB
The Study Area
The study area covers the important grizzly bear ranges between Tagish Lake and Kusawa Lake, from the Alaska Highway south to the British Columbia border.
Information Needed and Why
Current estimates of grizzly bear numbers and density are based on local knowledge, outfitter experience, harvest history and expert opinion. Environment Yukon needs more detailed and precise information, including the numbers and ages of bears, how much they move around, and how many cubs survive each year, in order to sustainably manage this harvested population.
Partners in the Study
Environment Yukon is leading this study, in collaboration with the First Nations. Southern Lakes Wildlife Coordinating Committee is providing direction on the study.
Community involvement is an important part of grizzly bear management in the Yukon. Environment Yukon will have discussions with local people to get additional information about the number of bears, where they can be found at different times of the year and how much they move around. Local people can also be involved in the fieldwork activities and by gathering information while out on the land, and by reporting recent bear activity.
Projects Included in the Study
Capturing and Collaring
The first project involves biologists capturing and putting radio collars on 25 to 40 bears throughout June and July 2009.
- Additional Information on Capturing and Handling Grizzly Bears
334 KB - Additional Information on Collaring Grizzly Bears 524 KB
Hair Gathering
A hair-gathering project will start in 2010. This project will provide information on the population by collecting hair samples from bears using special ‘traps’. These traps are designed to snag small samples of hair from the bears by attracting them to predetermined sites. An analysis of DNA from the hair samples provides more information about the density of bears in the study area and how the bears are related to one another by examining the genetic structure of the population.
Scat Gathering
Biologist are also interested in understanding what bears are eating in the area, so they will be asking people that spend time on the land to help by collecting scats throughout the year.
Traditional Knowledge
There will also be a local and traditional knowledge component to this study that will be lead by the region’s First Nations.
Contact Species ProgramsRamona Maraj, Carnivore Biologist Environment Yukon Government of Yukon Box 2703 (V-5A) Phone: 867-393-7423 Email: ramona.maraj@gov.yk.ca |