RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION DESIGN © 2011

www.PosterPresentations.com

As IBBR continues to affect positive change in the lives of individual bears and world-wide bear populations, we’ve developed additional programs that will help to educate the public about bear rehab and the wild environment of bears.

As a part of those efforts, we continue to introduce our Be BearWiseinitiative in communities and parks around the state of Idaho. We hope that our efforts will make a lasting and positive impact on wild bear populations and on the people who live and recreate in black bear habitat.

Why do BearWise habits matter?Orphaned and injured bears come to IBBR for a variety of reasons… all too often, cubs are orphaned because their mother is killed because of perceived nuisance behavior…some are found injured and separated from their mother for reasons unknown…some cubs have had their mothers killed in motor vehicle accidents… Many of the

situations that result in orphan cubs, injured bears, property damage, and personal injury, can be avoided by educating the public, and offering tips and solutions on how to co-exist peacefully with bears in their wild

environment. IBBR is committed to sharing information with the public, and wildlife agencies -information that can offer potential solutions to problems that lead to injury, illness, and orphan-states of bears.

We are working to build compassion, protection, and ownership for the welfare of bears and their environment by developing and sharing successful methods and practices for living, working, and recreating in bear habitat.

•Ethical and science-based protocols concerning injured and orphaned black bear need to be incorporated into wildlife agency regulations and management plans.

•Wildlife agencies should integrate the fluid nature and adaptive needs of bear rehabilitation when drafting policies and procedures meant to regulate bear rehabilitation.

•Black bear rehabilitators should be a part of, and major contributor to, agency black bear management policies as they affect black bear rehabilitation.

•Black Bears can be successfully rehabilitated at facilities near urban areas.

•Consistent standards need to be developed to define conflict activity with appropriate response methodology.

Successful American Black Bear rehabilitation near an urban area

In 1989, very few states were involved with bear cubrehabilitation, and fewer still had programs designed toprepare bears for life in the wild.

History

Black Bear rehab near an urban area

Specialized Formula – for infants or malnourished bears

Methods & Practices of Idaho Black Bear Rehab, Inc. – Nutrition & Enclosures

Around the first week of October, behavior changes dramatically; spook at everything including us during our normal routine. Only when visual recognition takes place will they settle down…begins to taper off as the weather changes and they become more lethargic in

preparation for hibernation.Sally Maughan, IBBR

Pre-Release

References

Maughan, Sally, IBBR, 2004, updated 2014, Bear Rehab Handbook

Stephan-LeBoeuf, Valerie, 2009, white paper, An Analysis of the Rehabilitation Facilities and Programs of Idaho Black Bear Rehab, Inc.

Idaho Black Bear Rehab, Inc. (IBBR), 6097 Arney Lane, Garden City, Idaho, 83714, USAwww.bearrehab.org info@bearrehab.org

The American Black Bear can be successfully rehabilitated atfacilities near urban areas. Factors critical to success includethe opportunity to socialize with other cubs duringrehabilitation, good body weight and condition at time ofrelease, release into areas which include sustainable bearhabitat (food, water, potential den sites), and low potential forhuman interactions during the first thirty (30) days post-release.

Valerie Stephan-LeBoeuf, Idaho Black Bear Rehab, Inc. (IBBR), Garden City, Idaho, USA

For over twenty-five (25) years, working closely with state, national, and world-wide bear experts, Idaho Black Bear Rehab, Inc. (IBBR) has developed a successful rehabilitation program for the American Black Bear (Ursus americanus).

Nurturing is important when young. It does not mean playing with a cub as you would a pet. It means establishing an environment in which the cub feels safe and secure. - Sally Maughan, IBBR

Essential to success

Located in the southwest corner of the state of Idaho, in Garden City, on 2.228 acres

2013 State of Idaho Population - 1,612,136

With orphaned cubs personality seems to be a major factor in whether the cub will become a problem bear when released - Sally Maughan, IBBR

2013 Ada County Idaho Population - 416,464

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1989-2014 All data by percentage of total bears released

Released

Survival

Died post release

Nuisance activity

A successful release has been defined, as a bear that has lived, but has not been encountered in a nuisance situation, for 30 days or more post-release.

Photos of den exit

behavior - 5 years

post release.

Julie Miller,

graduate studies,

Brigham Young

University

Facilities of IBBR include five (5) outdoor enclosures that can accommodate a variety of bear ages, medical conditions and smooth transitions into the populations of current resident bears in rehabilitation. Length, width, height, enhancements, etc., are tailored to accommodate the constantly varying needs of bears that enter the rehabilitation program.

Enclosures include a remote monitoring system, and numerous enrichment opportunities. Climbing structures, swim tub, movable logs, and a variety of den choices are present in the main enclosure.

Fall arrivals usually require a holding over until the following May, and have a Spring release into a suitable environment. Typical release up to July 27.

Spring arrivals are sometimes released by placing in dens in the mountains during the hibernation period. November 18 –December 27, is the standard winter release period.

Introduction of solid foods, nine to ten (9-10) wks

Commercial base diet plus natural foods, four (4) months and older

Release protocols are customized to accommodate the best outcomes for individual bears and group release of bears.

__ ______Release

__ ______The Data

217 Bears- 131 Idaho Bears

- 86 Out of State Bears

205 bears released to date (9/2014)

Based on radio collar tracking, and postmortem ear tag retrieval

- 146 bears presumed living lifespan w/no contradictory data

- 52 bears died post release (hunting, cars, predation, unknown)

- 7 designated as “nuisance” bears by wildlife agency personnel

Be BearWise

The Future