Share this article
Wildlife Featured in this article
- black bear
Watch: Tracking Arkansas bears to new territory
As black bears expand their range, GPS collars are helping biologists understand their behavior
Black bears (Ursus americanus) were once nearly extirpated from Arkansas, but their population has rebounded. Now bears are expanding into new territory along the Gulf coastal plane in southern Arkansas, and state biologists are conducting den surveys and using GPS tracking collars to better understand them. Biologists have deployed 15 GPS collars to give them more information about home ranges and habitat use, both of which seem to be unique compared to bears in other parts of the state. “Their habitat use is completely different than it is in the mountains,” said Myron Means, of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Managers plan to gather hair for genetic studies and blood for banking to give them even more information.
Watch the video from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission below.
PAID AD
Header Image: Once nearly extirpated from the state, black bears are expanding into new territory in Arkansas. Credit: Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Related Posts
Wild Cam: As snow decreases, wolf stomachs rumble
Lower snow levels in Minnesota winters means fewer vulnerable deer for packs to prey on
When building crossing structures, consider climate change
Researchers found four areas where crossing structures would benefit elk now and in the future
Trail cameras detect species better than soil eDNA
But environmental DNA can sometimes catch things that cameras missed