Black bears in suburban areas consume more anthropogenic foods

Presentation Year

2022

College or Department

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Short Description of your Research or Creative Project (700 characters or less)

Consumption of human food by black bears (Ursus americanus) is a common and challenging problem for wildlife managers dealing with the species, because bears will readily use human-associated foods as an easily attainable energy source, especially when natural food sources are scarce .The result of human expansion is increased rates of encounters between humans and bears, particularly if bears are being forced to search farther and wider outside their home ranges for food. In this study I assessed variation in anthropocentric foods in bear diets. To accomplish this, I compared scat samples collected in Humboldt, CA from suburban and rural areas.

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Permission to Publish Work

Yes