Landowners in the western portions of the district are being encouraged to help out with an ongoing study of grizzly bears in the region.
The fRi Research Grizzly Bear Program got underway in 2018 and is continuing this year. Mountain View BearSmart Society (MVBS) is working with fRi on the project.
The inventory program is taking place in the vast wilderness area between Highway 1 and Highway 11.
The aim of the project is to determine how many of the bruins live in the study area. It is the first study of its kind ever undertaken in the district.
Part of the study involves the use of hair snag sites, which are strands of barbed wire around a liquid scent lure to attract bears.
When the bear approaches the site, hair is snagged on the wire. That hair is then collected and used for DNA analysis.
Another part of the study involves the collection and analysis of bear droppings.
Study officials have put out a call for landowners to take part in the study by collecting bear scat samples on their properties over the coming several months.
“From now until the bears go into their winter dens, residents of Mountain View County, and adjoining counties, can help collect DNA by sampling bear scat found on their land or while hunting or recreating,” said MVBS president Paul Fraser.
The sampling kits are available at the Sundre Fish and Wildlife office, where the collected samples can be dropped off.
The kits consist of vials containing silica beads, rubber gloves, popsicle sticks to scoop samples, and detailed instructions on how to take a sample and how to get precise land location coordinators.
Landowners are encouraged to email MVBS ([email protected]) to get involved or if they have any basic questions about the project.
Founded in 1992, fRI Research is a not-for-profit research institute. For more, see friresearch.ca.
