Non-lethal Bear Management
Bear managers as well as landowners and NGO practitioners have a number of non-lethal tools and techniques at their disposal when responding to conflicts or to prevent conflicts in the first place. Non-lethal bear management can include bear deterrence, aversive conditioning of bears, and tactics that make it difficult or impossible for a bear to access an attractant (perceived food source).
The first option is always to consider whether the attractant can be removed so that bears would not be drawn in. This approach is more of a practice rather than a tool, but the most effective where possible (keeping garbage inside, for example, or replacing fruit trees).
Aversive conditioning targets unwanted behaviour by pairing it with a negative stimulus in an effort to reduce the behaviour. When the negative stimulus occurs, the objective is for the bear to react appropriately by leaving, ultimately learning to associate the undesirable behaviour with the negative experience and be more likely to avoid conflict in the future.
Many conflict prevention tools, like electric fencing or mats and motion-activated alarms, are types of aversive conditioning. Some of these tools are considered passive techniques, as they don’t require a person to be around to work, and bears receive instantaneous and consistent conditioning every time they engage in an undesirable behaviour. Other passive tools work to simply deter bears but without creating an unpleasant experience. These tools include lighting and acoustic deterrents, livestock guard animals (dogs, llamas, etc.), non-electric fencing, and more.
Karelian Bear Dogs are an interesting type of aversive conditioning that goes to bear and actively uses the dog(s) as a way to “train” the bear to stay away from a certain area. KBDs are primarily used in situations where bears are approaching people or developed areas, even when attractants are secured, trained professionals may implement more active aversion techniques. Loud noises, bear spray, and trained Karelian dogs can create a negative experience for the bear. These activities should always be conducted by a trained professional.
The advantages of bear deterrence and aversion over relocation and destruction are obvious. Relocating so-called "problem" bears is not an effective solution (Landriault 1998) due to the stress, competition, and unfamiliarity with resources a bear experiences in a new location, a likelihood of continued negative behaviour, or the possibility of returning to their original home where they’ll continue to be in conflict. Click here for more information on relocation.
Destroying bears is not an effective solution either, though sometimes necessary, unfortunately. By removing a "problem" bear, an opportunity is created for another bear to move into the newly available habitat niche. Consequently, the problem is not solved, and wildlife officials commit to a perpetual cycle of killing bears, public dismay, and negative press.
It must be emphasized that deterrence and aversive conditioning should be seen as an aid, not a substitute for preventive measures that eliminate or reduce the potential for human-bear conflicts in the first place. Bear aversion is most effective when bear attractants (such garbage, pet food, livestock, bird feeders, etc.) are secured from bears. The use of repellents and deterrents should be considered a second line of defense. Learn more about preventing bear conflicts through securing attractants here.