#BLACK BEAR SCAT HOW TO#

Lorne Community Centre, the Marsh Lake Community Centre and at the mail boxes by the restaurant at the Carcross Cutoff.Bear scatР’В is tubular like human fecesР’В but larger (5 to 12-inches long and 1.5 to 2.5-inches diameter). Kits are available at the CPAWS office in Whitehorse, the Mt. Samples must be logged using a cell phone app called iNaturalist and promptly frozen to preserve the DNA.

#BLACK BEAR SCAT HOW TO#

The OURS kits contain detailed instructions on how to sample bear scat while avoiding cross contamination of DNA. She said Kwanlin DР“Сn was particularly interested in whether bears were a major predator of ungulates on their traditional territories.Р”Р‡or the work toward a better understanding of the bear population to continue, more assistance from the public with the collection of scat samples will be needed. She offered the example of traces of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress, which will allow researchers to compare stress levels for bears spending time near roads and highways with those living deep in the woods.Р”Р‡ressigne said the Kwanlin DР“Сn First Nation, the White River First Nation in Beaver Creek and the Carcross/Tagish First Nation are engaged with the project. Fressigne noted that since 2018, grizzly bears have been listed as a species of special concern under the Species at Risk Act.Р”В«eyond identifying bears by their DNA, Fressigne said other interesting details will also be detected in the study. ThatРІР‚в„ўs the problem, we donРІР‚в„ўt have much data on them because itРІР‚в„ўs expensive and hard to study them,РІР‚Сњ Fressigne said.Р”Р„ccurate population estimates can assist with making management decisions regarding bears. So if that can be successful, it would be really important for monitoring bears. РІР‚СљThat is new technology that is cheaper, and easy and fast. Fressigne said they plan to start by focusing on smaller areas to show that the project is viable before expanding.Р”Р‡ressigne said DNA surveys are generally done using hair snags which entice bears to brush or rub up against barbed wire leaving behind clumps of fur which can then be analyzed. The study will focus on the Southern Lakes Region as well as the area around Beaver Creek. РІР‚СљSo this year is part of a two-year project where weРІР‚в„ўre going to try to sample as much as possible,РІР‚Сњ she said. Once bears have been identified based on the DNA, the data can be used to come up with a population estimate for the study area.

She said results are slow in coming from the lab at QueenРІР‚в„ўs University she is collaborating with due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Р”Р‡ressigne said the lab scientists believe they have successfully isolated DNA from the stool samples, but now they have to wait for a genetic analysis in order to identify the specific bear it came from. With the publicРІР‚в„ўs interest in participating in a citizen science project established, Fressigne said they are eagerly awaiting the results of the laboratory analysis. She said between 20 and 25 volunteers collected 90 per cent of the samples sent off to the lab in last yearРІР‚в„ўs pilot project. She said the pilot study was mainly meant to engage with the community and see if having volunteers collect bear feces while they were out hiking or biking would be feasible. Lucile Fressigne, one of the organizers of the project called Operation Ursus Research using Scat (OURS) said the main goal of the work is a more reliable estimate of grizzly and black bear populations in the Yukon.Р”Р‡ressigne, who has a PHD in molecular and cellular biology, organized a pilot project last year focusing on the Southern Lakes region. The main objective of collecting the feces samples is as a less invasive way of collecting the bearРІР‚в„ўs DNA, but there are other things it can teach as well. Paw prints in the dirt, berry bushes picked clean and deep scratches in the bark of trees can all serve as clues, but one group of researchers has focused their attention on the piles of bear scat left behind - and they are looking for volunteers who are willing to bag it up for them.

A lot can be learned from what bears leave behind as they stroll through the YukonРІР‚в„ўs forests.