DNA Damage as a Potential Non-Invasive Indicator of Welfare: A Preliminary Study in Zoo-Housed Grizzly Bears (Ursus arctos horribilis)
Measures of oxidative stress have potential for integrating positive and negative life experiences into comprehensive cellular indicators of animal welfare. We explored this possibility when three adult grizzly bear brothers at the Detroit Zoo were temporarily moved to a smaller habitat while their primary home was expanded. We expected that the spatial compression and construction […]
Grizzly Bear Food Habits in the Northern Yukon, Canada
We documented seasonal food habits of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in the Firth River Valley, Ivvavik National Park (INP), northern Yukon, Canada, 1993-1995 using: (1) analysis of 176 scats, (2) 222 hours of direct observation, and (3) 99 feeding site investigations. In spring, the primary grizzly bear food plants were alpine hedysarum (Hedysarum alpinum) roots […]
Grizzly bear activity budget and pattern in the Firth River Valley, Yukon
I determined the activity of 5 radiocollared grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in the Firth River Valley, Ivvavik National Park, Yukon, Canada, based on 574 hours of direct observation during 1994 and 1995. Radiocollared grizzly bears that were feeding primarily on caribou (Rangifer tarandus) tended to spend less time feeding and more time traveling or resting […]
Denning ecology of grizzly bears in northeastern Alaska
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Positive Reinforcement Training for Blood Collection in Grizzly Bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) Results in Undetectable Elevations in Serum Cortisol Levels: A Preliminary Investigation
Training nonhuman animals in captivity for participation in routine husbandry procedures is believed to produce a lower stress environment compared with undergoing a general anesthetic event for the same procedure. This hypothesis rests largely on anecdotal evidence that the captive subjects appear more relaxed with the trained event. Blood markers of physiological stress responses were […]