EDMONTON — Grizzly bears are doing their best to get along with people, but it still isn’t enough.
Newly published research assessing more than 40 years of data concludes that without large wilderness areas to replenish their numbers, the bears would disappear from landscapes they share with humans.
The paper found that bears in populated areas in Alberta and British Columbia have even changed how they hunt, shifting from daytime to more nocturnal activity.
That helps keep more grizzlies alive.
But the study says the mortality rate is still so high that the only reason bears still exist in those areas is because young bears immigrate into them from more remote places.
Those bears must learn all over again how to live with humans, which results in more fatalities.
Lead author Clayton Lamb of the University of Alberta says even the most bear-conscious communities have a ways to go before they can live with bears sustainably.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 7, 2020
The Canadian Press
