Register      Login
Wildlife Research Wildlife Research Society
Ecology, management and conservation in natural and modified habitats
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Effects of capturing and collaring on polar bears: findings from long-term research on the southern Beaufort Sea population

Karyn D. Rode A C , Anthony M. Pagano A , Jeffrey F. Bromaghin A , Todd C. Atwood A , George M. Durner A , Kristin S. Simac A and Steven C. Amstrup B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA.

B Polar Bears International, PO Box 3008, Bozeman, MT 59772, USA.

C Corresponding author. Email: krode@usgs.gov

Wildlife Research 41(4) 311-322 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR13225
Submitted: 21 December 2013  Accepted: 9 September 2014   Published: 16 December 2014

Abstract

Context: The potential for research methods to affect wildlife is an increasing concern among both scientists and the public. This topic has a particular urgency for polar bears because additional research is needed to monitor and understand population responses to rapid loss of sea ice habitat.

Aims: This study used data collected from polar bears sampled in the Alaska portion of the southern Beaufort Sea to investigate the potential for capture to adversely affect behaviour and vital rates. We evaluated the extent to which capture, collaring and handling may influence activity and movement days to weeks post-capture, and body mass, body condition, reproduction and survival over 6 months or more.

Methods: We compared post-capture activity and movement rates, and relationships between prior capture history and body mass, body condition and reproductive success. We also summarised data on capture-related mortality.

Key results: Individual-based estimates of activity and movement rates reached near-normal levels within 2–3 days and fully normal levels within 5 days post-capture. Models of activity and movement rates among all bears had poor fit, but suggested potential for prolonged, lower-level rate reductions. Repeated captures was not related to negative effects on body condition, reproduction or cub growth or survival. Capture-related mortality was substantially reduced after 1986, when immobilisation drugs were changed, with only 3 mortalities in 2517 captures from 1987–2013.

Conclusions: Polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea exhibited the greatest reductions in activity and movement rates 3.5 days post-capture. These shorter-term, post-capture effects do not appear to have translated into any long-term effects on body condition, reproduction, or cub survival. Additionally, collaring had no effect on polar bear recovery rates, body condition, reproduction or cub survival.

Implications: This study provides empirical evidence that current capture-based research methods do not have long-term implications, and are not contributing to observed changes in body condition, reproduction or survival in the southern Beaufort Sea. Continued refinement of capture protocols, such as the use of low-impact dart rifles and reversible drug combinations, might improve polar bear response to capture and abate short-term reductions in activity and movement post-capture.

Additional keywords: activity, body condition, capture effects, handling effects, movement rates.


References

Agresti, A. (2002). ‘Categorical Data Analysis’, 2nd edn. (John Wiley & Sons: Hoboken, NJ.)

Amstrup, S. C. (1993). Human disturbances of denning polar bears in Alaska. Arctic 46, 246–250.
Human disturbances of denning polar bears in Alaska.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Amstrup, S. C., and Gardner, C. (1994). Polar bear maternity denning in the Beaufort Sea. The Journal of Wildlife Management 58, 1–10.
Polar bear maternity denning in the Beaufort Sea.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Amstrup, S. C., and Durner, G. M. (1995). Survival rates of radio-collared female polar bears and their dependent young. Canadian Journal of Zoology 73, 1312–1322.
Survival rates of radio-collared female polar bears and their dependent young.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Amstrup, S. C., Durner, G. M., Stirling, I., Lunn, N. J., and Messier, F. (2000). Movements and distribution of polar bears in the Beaufort Sea. Canadian Journal of Zoology 78, 948–966.
Movements and distribution of polar bears in the Beaufort Sea.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Amstrup, S. C., McDonald, T. L., and Durner, G. M. (2004). Using satellite radiotelemetry data to delineate and manage wildlife populations. Wildlife Society Bulletin 32, 661–679.
Using satellite radiotelemetry data to delineate and manage wildlife populations.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Amstrup, S. C., McDonald, T. L., and Manly, B. F. J. (2005). ‘Handbook of Capture–recapture Analysis.’ (Princeton University Press: Princeton, NJ.)

Amstrup, S. C., DeWeaver, E. T., Douglas, D. C., Marcot, B. G., Durner, G. M., Bitz, C. M., and Bailey, D. A. (2010). Greenhouse gas mitigation can reduce sea-ice loss and increase polar bear persistence. Nature 468, 955–958.
Greenhouse gas mitigation can reduce sea-ice loss and increase polar bear persistence.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3cXhsFKmu7fJ&md5=77ceb3119bfdd7f0863173a7f8cfcac8CAS | 21164484PubMed |

Andersen, M., Derocher, A. E., Wiig, Ø., and Aars, J. (2008). Movements of two Svalbard polar bears recorded using geographical positioning system satellite transmitters. Polar Biology 31, 905–911.
Movements of two Svalbard polar bears recorded using geographical positioning system satellite transmitters.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Baldwin, R. A., and Bender, L. C. (2009). Survival and productivity of a low-density black bear population in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Human–Wildlife Conflicts 3, 271–281.

Burnham, K. P., and Anderson, D. R. (2002). ‘Model Selection and Multimodel Inference: a Practical Information-theoretic Approach.’ 2nd edn. (Springer: New York.)

Byers, T. (1999). Perspectives of aboriginal peoples on wildlife research. Wildlife Society Bulletin 27, 671–675.

Calvert, W., and Ramsay, M. A. (1998). Evaluation of age determination of polar bears by counts of cementum growth layer groups. Ursus 10, 449–453.

Cattet, M. R. L., Caulkett, N. A., Obbard, M. E., and Stenhouse, G. B. (2002). A body-condition index for ursids. Canadian Journal of Zoology 80, 1156–1161.
A body-condition index for ursids.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Cattet, M. R. L., Bourque, A., Elkin, B. T., Powley, K. D., Dahlstrom, D. B., and Caulkett, N. A. (2006). Evaluation of the potential for injury with remote drug-delivery systems. Wildlife Society Bulletin 34, 741–749.
Evaluation of the potential for injury with remote drug-delivery systems.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Cattet, M., Boulanger, J., Stenhouse, G., Powell, R. A., and Reynolds-Hogland, M. J. (2008). An evaluation of long-term capture effects in ursids: implications for wildlife welfare and research. Journal of Mammalogy 89, 973–990.
An evaluation of long-term capture effects in ursids: implications for wildlife welfare and research.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Dechen-Quinn, A. C., Williams, D. M., and Porter, W. F. (2012). Postcapture movement rates can inform data censoring protocols for GPS collared animals. Journal of Mammalogy 93, 456–463.
Postcapture movement rates can inform data censoring protocols for GPS collared animals.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Derocher, A. E., and Stirling, I. (1994). Age-specific reproductive performance of female polar bears (Ursus maritimus). Journal of Zoology 234, 527–536.
Age-specific reproductive performance of female polar bears (Ursus maritimus).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Derocher, A. E., and Stirling, I. (1996). Aspects of survival in juvenile polar bears. Canadian Journal of Zoology 74, 1246–1252.
Aspects of survival in juvenile polar bears.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Derocher, A. E., and Stirling, I. (1998). Maternal investment and factors affecting offspring size in polar bears (Ursus maritimus). Journal of Zoology 245, 253–260.
Maternal investment and factors affecting offspring size in polar bears (Ursus maritimus).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Derocher, A. E., Lunn, N. J., and Stirling, I. (2004). Polar bears in a warming climate. Integrative and Comparative Biology 44, 163–176.
Polar bears in a warming climate.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 21680496PubMed |

Devineau, O., Shenk, T. M., White, G. C., Doherty, P. F., Lukacs, P. M., and Kahn, R. H. (2010). Evaluating the Canada lynx reintroduction programme in Colorado: patterns in mortality. Journal of Animal Ecology 47, 524–531.
Evaluating the Canada lynx reintroduction programme in Colorado: patterns in mortality.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Durner, G. M., Douglas, D. C., Nielson, R. M., Amstrup, S. C., McDonald, T. L., Stirling, I., Mauritzen, M., Born, E. W., Wiig, Ø., DeWeaver, E., Serreze, M. C., Belikov, S. E., Holland, M. M., Maslanik, J., Aars, J., Bailey, D. A., and Derocher, A. E. (2009). Predicting 21st-century polar bear habitat distribution from global climate models. Ecological Monographs 79, 25–58.
Predicting 21st-century polar bear habitat distribution from global climate models.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Durner, G. M., Whiteman, J. P., Harlow, H. J., Amstrup, S. C., Regehr, E. V., and Ben-David, M. (2011). Consequences of long-distance swimming and travel over deep-water ice for a female polar bear during a year of extreme sea ice retreat. Polar Biology 34, 975–984.
Consequences of long-distance swimming and travel over deep-water ice for a female polar bear during a year of extreme sea ice retreat.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Harwood, L. A., Smith, T. G., Melling, H., Alikamik, J., and Kingsley, M. C. S. (2012). Ringed seals and sea ice in Canada’s western Arctic: harvest-based monitoring 1992–2011. Arctic 65, 377–390.

Henri, D., Gilchrist, H. G., and Peacock, E. (2010). Understanding and managing wildlife in Hudson Bay under a changing climate: some recent contributions from Inuit and Cree ecological knowledge. In ‘A Little Less Arctic: Top Predators in the World’s Largest Inland Sea, Hudson Bay’. (Eds S. H. Ferguson, L. L. Loseto and M. L. Mallory.) pp. 267–289. (Springer: Dordrecht, Netherlands.)

Hosmer, D. W., and Lemeshow, S. (2004). ‘Applied Logistic Regression,’ 2nd edn. (John Wiley and Sons: Hoboken, NJ.)

Jewell, Z. (2013). Effect of monitoring technique on quality of conservation science. Conservation Biology 27, 501–508.
Effect of monitoring technique on quality of conservation science.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 23692018PubMed |

Kramer, M. (2005). R2 statistics for mixed models. Proceedings of the Conference on Applied Statistics in Agriculture 17, 148–160.

Littell, R. C., Milliken, G. A., Stroup, W. W., Wolfinger, R. D., and Schabenberger, O. (2006). ‘SAS® for Mixed Models,’ 2nd edn. (SAS Institute: Cary, NC.)

Lunn, N. J., Stirling, I., Andriashek, D., and Richardson, E. (2004). Selection of maternity dens by female polar bears in western Hudson Bay, Canada and the effects of human disturbance. Polar Biology 27, 350–356.
Selection of maternity dens by female polar bears in western Hudson Bay, Canada and the effects of human disturbance.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Magee, L. (1990). R2 measures based on Wald and likelihood ratio joint significance tests. The American Statistician 44, 250–253.

Marescot, L., Pradel, R., Duchamp, C., Cubaynes, S., Marboutin, E., Choquet, R., Miquel, C., and Gimenez, O. (2011). Capture-recapture population growth rate as a robust tool against detection heterogeneity for population management. Ecological Applications 21, 2898–2907.
Capture-recapture population growth rate as a robust tool against detection heterogeneity for population management.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Mauritzen, M., Belikov, S. E., Boltunov, A. N., Derocher, A. E., Hansen, E., Ims, R. A., Wiig, Ø., and Yoccoz, N. (2003). Functional responses in polar bear habitat selection. Oikos 100, 112–124.
Functional responses in polar bear habitat selection.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Messier, F. (1992). Seasonal activity patterns of female polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the Canadian Arctic as revealed by satellite telemetry. Journal of Zoology 226, 219–229.
Seasonal activity patterns of female polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the Canadian Arctic as revealed by satellite telemetry.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Messier, F. (2000). Effects of capturing, tagging, and radio-collaring polar bears for research and management purposes in Nunavut and Northwest Territories. Report to the Government of Nunavut. Iqaluit, NT.

Molnár, P. K., Klanjscek, T., Derocher, A. E., Obbard, M. E., and Lewis, M. A. (2009). A body composition model to estimate mammalian energy stores and metabolic rates from body mass and body length, with application to polar bears. The Journal of Experimental Biology 212, 2313–2323.
A body composition model to estimate mammalian energy stores and metabolic rates from body mass and body length, with application to polar bears.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 19617423PubMed |

Molnár, P. K., Derocher, A. E., Klanjscek, T., and Lewis, M. A. (2011). Predicting climate change impacts on polar bear litter size. Nature Communications 2, 186.
Predicting climate change impacts on polar bear litter size.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 21304515PubMed |

Morellet, N., Verheyden, H., Angibault, J.-M., Cargnelutti, B., Lourtet, B., and Hewison, M. A. J. (2009). The effect of capture on ranging behaviour and activity of the European roe deer Capreolous capreolus. Wildlife Biology 15, 278–287.
The effect of capture on ranging behaviour and activity of the European roe deer Capreolous capreolus.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Overland, J. E., and Wang, M. (2013). When will the summer Arctic be nearly sea ice free? Geophysical Research Letters 40, 2097–2101.
When will the summer Arctic be nearly sea ice free?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Peacock, E., Derocher, A. E., Thiemann, G. W., and Stirling, I. (2011). Conservation and management of Canada’s polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in a changing Arctic. Canadian Journal of Zoology 89, 371–385.
Conservation and management of Canada’s polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in a changing Arctic.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Ramsay, M. A., and Stirling, I. (1986). Long-term effects of drugging and handling free-ranging polar bears. The Journal of Wildlife Management 50, 619–626.
Long-term effects of drugging and handling free-ranging polar bears.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

R Development Core Team (2013). R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. Available at www.R-project.org/

Rode, K. D., Amstrup, S. C., and Regehr, E. V. (2010). Reduced body size and cub recruitment in polar bears associated with sea ice decline. Ecological Applications 20, 768–782.
Reduced body size and cub recruitment in polar bears associated with sea ice decline.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 20437962PubMed |

Saraux, C., Le Bohec, C., Durant, J. M., Viblanc, V. A., Gauthier-Clerc, M., Beaune, D., Park, Y. H., Yoccoz, N. G., Stenseth, N. C., and Le Maho, Y. (2011). Reliability of flipper-banded penguins as indicators of climate change. Nature 469, 203–206.
Reliability of flipper-banded penguins as indicators of climate change.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3MXkvFentA%3D%3D&md5=c417c4b9cfa702a4897aa3e688599648CAS | 21228875PubMed |

Stirling, I., Spencer, C., and Andriashek, D. (1989). Immobilization of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) with Telazol® in the Canadian Arctic. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 25, 159–168.
Immobilization of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) with Telazol® in the Canadian Arctic.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DyaL1M3js1Gjtg%3D%3D&md5=cb1e615c5e5f15b79d19f92cc696c188CAS | 2716095PubMed |

Stroeve, J. C., Serreze, M. C., Holland, M. M., Kay, J. E., Maslanik, J., and Barrett, A. P. (2012). The Arctic’s rapidly shrinking sea ice cover: a research synthesis. Climatic Change 110, 1005–1027.
The Arctic’s rapidly shrinking sea ice cover: a research synthesis.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Thiemann, G. W., Derocher, A. E., Cherry, S. G., Lunn, N. J., Peacock, E., and Sahanatien, V. (2013). Effects of chemical immobilization on the movement rates of free-ranging polar bears. Journal of Mammalogy 94, 386–397.
Effects of chemical immobilization on the movement rates of free-ranging polar bears.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Vongraven, D., Aars, J., Amstrup, S., Atkinson, S. N., Belikov, S., Born, E. W., DeBruyn, T. D., Derocher, A. E., Durner, G., Gill, M., Lunn, N., Obbard, M. E., Omelak, J., Ovsyanikov, N., Peacock, E., Richardson, E., Sahanatien, V., Stirling, I., and Wiig, Ø. (2012). A circumpolar monitoring framework for polar bears. Ursus Monograph Series 5.

Walker, K. A., Trites, A. W., Haulena, M., and Weary, D. M. (2012). A review of the effects of different marking and tagging techniques on marine mammals. Wildlife Research 39, 15–30.
A review of the effects of different marking and tagging techniques on marine mammals.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Wood, S. N. (2006). ‘Generalized Additive Models: An Introduction with R.’ (Chapman and Hall: CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.)