Credit Anthony Carnahan
Conserving energy is important for bears, especially in the fall, when they re getting ready for hibernation. According to new research, their travel habits have a lot to do with that goal. If a bear s traveling faster around a road versus further into the wilderness, we can say, well, they re traveling faster, but what does that mean for the bear? And so our main goal with this project was to be able to actually put a currency to that behavior, i.e. energy expenditure, said Washington State University PhD student and lead author Tony Carnahan.
Carnahan and his team put nine grizzly bears from Washington State University s Bear Research, Education, and Conservation Center onto a horse treadmill with a special enclosure built around it to measure oxygen exchange. Food rewards like slices of apple and hot dogs motivated the bears to enter the enclosure, and, eventually, walk.
by Hina Alam, The Canadian Press
Posted Apr 11, 2021 5:00 am ADT
Last Updated Apr 11, 2021 at 5:09 am ADT
VANCOUVER Grizzly bears seem to favour gently sloping or flat trails like those commonly used by people, which can affect land management practices in wild areas, says an expert who has written a paper on their travel patterns.
One of the reasons people encounter bears while hiking could be because they prefer the same routes as humans, said Gordon Stenhouse, a researcher at the Alberta-based Foothills Research Institute.
The study recently published in the Journal of Experimental Biology could be used by resource-based industries in areas like forestry, oil and gas exploration, especially in Alberta, he said in an interview.
One of the reasons people encounter bears while hiking could be because they prefer the same routes as humans, said Gordon Stenhouse, a researcher at the Alberta-based Foothills Research Institute
Grizzly bears prefer walking on gentle slopes at a leisurely pace like humans: study
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A grizzly bear walks on a treadmill as Dr. Charles Robbins, right, offers treats as rewards at Washington State University s Bear Research, Education, and Conservation Center in this undated handout photo. Grizzly bears seem to favour gently sloping or flat trails like those commonly used by people, which can affect land management practices in wild areas, says an expert who has written a paper on their travel patterns. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Anthony Carnahan MANDATORY CREDIT
VANCOUVER - Grizzly bears seem to favour gently sloping or flat trails like those commonly used by people, which can affect land management practices in wild areas, says an expert who has written a paper on their travel patterns.