Conservation
Andean Bear Foundation (andeanbear.org) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (http://www.wcs.org/saving-wildlife/bears/andean-bear.aspx) are two of the main organizations leading Andean bear conservation efforts. The Andean Bear Foundation asks on their website, “Help us save the Andean bears before they disappear forever” and has the mission to “secure a future for the Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus) and sustain the beauty and ecological integrity of its natural habitat.”
The WCS "carries out conservation efforts at the local and regional scales to save this species from habitat loss and other threats.” They are involved in research, education and outreach, and awareness at a political level.
Organizations involved in conservation efforts rely heavily on outside donations. It can be difficult to know to what this money goes to, so donors should be aware and do research before giving money.
Organizations involved in conservation efforts rely heavily on outside donations. It can be difficult to know to what this money goes to, so donors should be aware and do research before giving money.
Research
Research is challenging in the Andes due to limited resources, education, and social, governmental, and economic support. The extensive range of the bears, the dense vegetation, and the dramatic terrain of the Andes prevent traditional bear research methods from being effective. Methods of collecting data about the Andean bear vary, often depending on location, available resources, and the researcher. A commonly practiced technique involves baiting a bear to a trap, trapping and tranquilizing the bear, then collecting genetic samples, and radio collaring the bear for remote censor tracking (5).
Non-invasive Genetic Sampling
Pros:
Bear trapping:
Pros:
Pros:
Pros:
- Obtaining bear DNA from the collection and extraction of bear hair, scat, and saliva. Does not require catching, or seeing the bear.
- Can still cause negative impacts on environment and bear, due to use of hair traps (barbed wire tied across animal trails or around scratching trees), creation of pathways, or transects, in bear habitat, and use of scat sniffing dogs to obtain samples.
Bear trapping:
Pros:
- Baiting bears to traps, then tranquilizing bear to take genetic samples and put on a radio collar for remote tracking.
- Way to collect information about bears.
- The use of radio collars have often been ineffective in the Andes due to the dense vegetation and rough terrain, preventing satellite transmission.
- Radio collars are expensive and have limited battery life (about 6 months)
- Traps can be stressful and harmful to bears
Pros:
- Placing motion sensor cameras along bear movement corridors to capture image of bears.
- Many bears have unique facial markings, which enable researchers to identify individuals.
- Some camera traps are non-invasive, but some have used bait to attract bears to the camera.
(5) Viteri, P. M., Lisette P Waits. (2009). Identifying polymorphic microsatellite loci for Andean bear research. Ursus, V20 n2 (11 2009); 102-108.