Land use and behavioral patterns of brown bears in the South-Eastern Romanian Carpathian Mountains: A case study of relocated and rehabilitated individuals

Published source details Pop I.M., Sallay A., Bereczky L. & Chiriac S. (2012) Land use and behavioral patterns of brown bears in the South-Eastern Romanian Carpathian Mountains: A case study of relocated and rehabilitated individuals. Procedia Environmental Sciences, 14, 111-122.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Translocate problem mammals away from residential areas (e.g. habituated bears) to reduce human-wildlife conflict Action Link

Translocate problem mammals away from residential areas (e.g. habituated bears) to reduce human-wildlife conflict

A controlled study in 2008-2011 in a mixed landscape in the Eastern Romanian Carpathians, Romania (Pop et al. 2012) found that brown bears Ursus arctos translocated to reduce conflict with humans, some of which had been rehabilitated as orphans, occurred less frequently inside high potential conflict areas than outside. Bears were present less frequently inside high potential conflict areas than outside if they had been translocated (occurrences inside: 501; outside: 1,517) or rehabilitated (inside: 462; outside: 1,180) and particularly if they had been rehabilitated and translocated (inside: 245; outside: 963). Bears that had not been translocated or rehabilitated occurred inside the high potential conflict areas more than outside (inside: 2,166; outside: 1,067). Rehabilitated and translocated bears spent less time (9 hrs) in the conflict areas than those that had not been rehabilitated and translocated (14 hrs). Similar time was spent in those areas by bears that had just been translocated (4 hrs) or rehabilitated (6 hrs). Eight bears were radio-tracked for 3-17 months (541-1,869 locations/bear) in 2008-2011 across the 15,822 km² study site. There were two bears of each of four types: translocated but not rehabilitated, translocated and rehabilitated, not translocated but rehabilitated and not translocated or rehabilitated. The four bears (two male) were translocated >60-100 km from their capture site due to conflict with humans (damage and/or frequently visited settlements, e.g. waste disposal sites). Four bears (two male) were orphan bear cubs that were released after rehabilitation in relatively natural conditions for a maximum of two years. High potential conflict areas were those with human settlements, partially agricultural fields and woodlands.

(Summarised by: Rebecca Smith)