Abstract 146 – The use of Karelian Bear Dogs (KBD’s) as a management tool to mitigate human-bear conflicts

Nanna Borgen Scott Brainerd, Todd J. Brinkman, Nils Pedersen

Problem bears are often euthanized following multiple relocation attempts, even though non-
lethal bear management methods such as aversive conditioning (AC) can reduce human-bear
conflicts. Since the 1990s, a specialized aversion protocol based on principles of animal training
and conditioning has been used by wildlife managers in North America and Japan. The protocol
was developed by the Wind River Bear Institute and utilizes the Karelian Bear Dog (KBD), a
specialized dog breed traditionally used for hunting brown bears (Ursus arctos) in Finland. The
dogs shepherd wild bears by barking and chasing them and so conditions the bears to move
around or avoid human occupied space. Although this approach might be successful, conflicting
evidence suggest that the long-term efficacy might be conditional on variables such as time,
bear species or location.
The aim of this graduate project is to evaluate the effectiveness of the WRBI’s non-lethal
approach to mitigate human-bear conflicts from the perspective of KBD handlers. In
collaboration with a select experienced KBD handlers we will develop a questionnaire that will
be distributed to a large sample of practitioners. The questionnaire will gather the handler
experiences of bear management before and after employing KBD’s for AC. In particular, we will
assess if the application of KBD’s has reduced the need for lethal control of bears, and the
extent to which conditioned bears permanently have changed their behaviour.
This is the first study to evaluate the WRBI protocol as a non-lethal management tool from a
handler perspective. Conditioning bears to avoid conflict areas can have great conservation
benefits and as a non-lethal approach, it has the potential to benefit conservation efforts
wherever bears are present. Teaching bears to avoid human settlements and activities is only
one part of the equation, and public education on preventative measures may be equally
important in reducing human-bear conflicts.