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About the Project |
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In cooperation with SUNY ESF and the New York State DEC, we are conducting a reproductive tract collection from harvested female black bears in the Adirondack Region for the 2010 early and regular hunting seasons. The reproductive tract collection is part of a larger project looking at the relationship between natural food abundance and black bear nuisance levels. Some questions we are asking are:
· Do female bears synchronize their reproduction with natural food cycles? · What are the best conditions for cub production?
There are telltale signs left in the reproductive tract after a female bear has mated and given birth to cubs. The process of ovulation and birth leaves visible scars inside the ovaries and uterus. Counts of scars in the uterus tell us how many cubs were born. Counts of scars in the ovaries indicate the number of eggs that were shed. No scars in either the ovary or the uterus indicate the bear had not mated. This information, combined with the age of each animal, tells us a great deal about what is going on in the bear population such as the number of cubs produced, reproductive timing and reproductive success. |
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We Need Your Help! |
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We need the help of hunters to submit reproductive tracts of female bears in the Adirondacks. We also need the help of taxidermists and game processors to store the specimens for a short period before they are picked up by our personnel. See Guide to Hunters for details on removing tracts from the body cavity. It also necessary for us to know the age of the bear, so remember to collect the first premolar tooth and send it to the DEC in the postage paid envelope provided.
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Collaborating Organizations |
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As the project progresses, this website will be updated with findings about the effect of natural food abundance on reproduction and nuisance behavior in the black bears of the central Adirondacks. |
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Edna Bailey Sussman Foundation |
