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The
Partners
In Life Program - Keeping Bears Wild
The Wind River Bear Institute goal is to improve
coexistence between bears and people. Effective solutions
that prevent bear conflicts or their reoccurrence
are critical. Current methods of controlling problem
bears such as relocations are generally ineffective
as long-term solutions to the problem. Most problem
bears must eventually be destroyed.
Their Partners-In-Life Program® (Program) is
an innovative program that is saving the lives of
bears by changing the way they are managed and viewed
by wildlife agencies and the public. The Program is
designed to resolve human/bear conflicts by teaching
BOTH bears and people, and provides a safe, effective
and humane, non-lethal replacement for the traditional
methods of relocation followed by destruction. This
program can also serve as a model for working with
other species and has met with success in the U.S.,
Canada and Japan.
Bears are taught to recognize and avoid human boundaries
and to use habitat and travel as wild bears would.
Since 1995, WRBI has used "Bear Shepherding"
methods to condition bears using operant conditioning
principles. They have developed a system for teaching
safe, meaningful lessons to bears and use a variety
of loud noises, rubber projectiles and Karelian Bear
Dogs (KBDs) to safely "shepherd" bears out
of off-limit areas such as roadways, campgrounds,
developed sites, and back country camps. Because the
lessons are based on wild bear behavior, the bears
are taught to view us as much like a dominant bear
and learn to avoid human developed sites as "our
territory".
The Partners-In-Life Program also focuses on education.
WRBI's "partners" include the bears, wildlife
agencies and the general public. WRBI employs experienced
biologists to train wildlife managers and the public
in the proper use of WRBI's methods, to assist in
maintenance or recovery of bear populations and to
plan community conflict prevention programs. Bear
rehabilitation is dovetailed with working with area
bear managers and intensive, on-site education of
the local public, communities, and recreationists
to reduce attractants and address factors that are
root causes of conflict situations. Bear Shepherding
was developed by WRBI, in coordination with various
bear management agencies including Montana Fish, Wildlife
and Parks, the National Park Service, and the U.S.
Forest Service and piloted in Montana, Washington,
Alberta and Japan through the PILP.
Past experience has demonstrated the need to involve
entire communities in conflict prevention. At the
grassroots level, WRBI education and outreach demonstrates
how every person living and recreating in bear country
has a role to play in bear stewardship. The WRBI staff
regularly visits landowners and other outdoor users,
on-site to help reduce attractants (that lead bears
into conflict situations), gives presentations in
schools (where KBDs are tremendous ambassadors for
bears), and works closely with the general public
(to address the root of human-bear conflict). This
community-based prevention strategy fosters a greater
understanding of how people and bears can coexist.
WRBI also maintain the Wind River Karelian Bear Dogs
Wildlife Service Dogs breeding facilities and a selection,
placement and training program for handling and training
KBDs at their kennels and headquarters in Florence,
MT.
WRBI is partially funded by tax deductible grants
and donations. But they seek annual partnerships through
work contracts from state and federal agencies and
private groups to sustain the Institute. They offer
the following options:
- On-Site consultation and assessments to identify
root causes of bear/human conflicts and to develop
bear/human conflict treatment plans and prevention
programs.
- Presentations and 1-day Workshops to publics,
local officials and community groups to educate
them and to develop appropriate conflict prevention
approaches.
- On-Site Introduction and Training of bear managers
and private personnel in Bear Shepherding concepts
and techniques:
a. Basic Bear Shepherding Course: (2-4 days) Manuals
provided; can also include Beginning KBD Handling.
b. Advanced Bear Shepherding On-Site" Training
Course (3 - 10 Days)
c. On-Site Bear Shepherding Introductory Program
(5 days to 3 weeks) Introduction to Program and
Demonstration of and/or training in the field in
concepts and techniques, including presentations
to the public, workshops for agency personnel and
on-site trap releases, bear conditioning, conflict
solving and demonstrations on problem bears. Can
also include KBD team and biologist handlers.
- On-Site Field Work with bear managers to assess
and work with bear conflicts.
- Breeding, selection, and training of KBD's produced
by WRBI for bear managers or private individuals
and groups.
- Karelian Bear Dog Temperament and Working Dog
Assessments, Training Consultations and Board and
Training Programs for all owners of KBDs.
If any of the above services are of interest to you,
please contact WRBI and they will provide a proposal
and cost estimate specifically designed for your needs.
Also, please take a few minutes to visit their web
site at www.beardogs.org
to learn more about the Program.
Hunt has published her Bear Shepherding Techniques
and Protocols in a manual entitled: Partners-In-Life
Program - Bear Shepherding Guidelines For Safe and
Effective Treatment of Human-Bear Conflicts".
Wind River Bear Institute, Heber City, Utah. January
2003. Please contact
her directly for a copy.
For more information on:
WRBI's
Services and Information
Frequently
Asked Questions
Key
Uses for Karelian Service Dogs
Hunt's
Resume
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