University of Alberta grizzly bear research and mitigation project

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In North America, the conservation conundrum of large carnivores is epitomized by the gradual extirpation of the iconic grizzly bear. Once a prairie species that spread over much of the western half of the continent, its range is now restricted to a few small pockets in remote, mountainous areas of a few northern US and Canada. In the past 200 years, dozens of receding sub-populations have winked out of existence after being isolated from adjacent populations. This pattern could occur in Banff and Yoho National Parks where grizzly bears exhibit some of the lowest population densities, body masses, and reproductive rates in North America. Despite protection from hunting and road mortality, bears in this area are challenged by low habitat productivity and, recently, high mortality on the train tracks maintained by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). Four grizzly bears were killed in the study area in 2011, the highest single rail and road-kill year the area has experienced, and two more were killed in 2012. The reasons for the sharp rise and continuing mortality of bears are not yet understood, but inevitably involve numerous and interacting biological, geographical, and societal factors. We propose a comprehensive, 4-year research project that will address the primary goals of an associated initiative hosted by the CPR Grizzly Bear Conservation Initiative to: (1) determine the root causes of bear mortality on the CPR tracks, and (2) identify effective methods to prevent future mortalities. We will achieve these objectives with innovative methods to quantify diverse environmental factors and detailed aspects of bear behaviour and then integrate these measures to identify and test the most effective mitigation techniques. In addition, we will support communication efforts by both CPR and the Parks Canada Agency (PCA) to proactively engage a global public in solution-oriented conservation action via scientific and public outlets.