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The media and scientific literature are increasingly reporting an escalation of large carnivore attacks on humans in North America and Europe. Although rare compared to human fatalities by other wildlife, the media often overplay large carnivore attacks on humans, causing increased fear and negative attitudes towards coexisting with and conserving these species. Although large carnivore populations are generally increasing in developed countries, increased numbers are not solely responsible for the observed rise in the number of attacks by large carnivores. Here we show that an increasing number of people are involved in outdoor activities and, when doing so, some people engage in risk-enhancing behaviour that can increase the probability of a risky encounter and a potential attack. About half of the well-documented reported attacks have involved risk-enhancing human behaviours, the most common of which is leaving children unattended. Our study provides unique insight into the causes, and as a result the prevention, of large carnivore attacks on people. Prevention and information that can encourage appropriate human behaviour when sharing the landscape with large carnivores are of paramount importance to reduce both potentially fatal human-carnivore encounters and their consequences to large carnivores.

The area in and around Banff National Park (BNP) in southwestern Alberta, Canada, is 1 of the most heavily used and developed areas where grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) still exist. During 1994-2002, we radiomarked and monitored 37 female and 34 male bears in this area to estimate rates of survival, reproduction, and population growth. Annual survival rates of bears other than dependent young averaged 95% for females and 81-85% for males. Although this area was largely unhunted, humans caused 75% of female mortality and 86% of male mortality. Females produced their first surviving litter at 6-12 years of age (x -= 8.4 years). Litters averaged 1.84 cubs spaced at 4.4-year intervals. Adult (≥6-years-old) females produced 0.24 female cubs per year and were expected to produce an average of 1.7 female cubs in their lifetime, based on rates of reproduction and survival. Cub survival was 79%, yearling survival was 91%, and survival through independence at 2.5-5.5 years of age was 72%, as no dependent young older than yearlings died. Although this is the slowest-reproducing grizzly bear population yet studied, high rates of survival seem to have enabled positive population growth (λ = 1.04, 95% CI = 0.99-1.09), based on analyses using Leslie matrices. Current management practices, instituted in the late 1980s, focus on alleviating human-caused bear mortality. If the 1970-1980s style of management had continued, we estimated that an average of 1 more radiomarked female would have been killed each year, reducing female survival to the point that the population would have declined. JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 69(1):277-297; 2005

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Food and habitat used by grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in the Front Ranges of Banff National Park were studied during 1976-80 using fecal analysis, feeding site examination, direct observation, and radio-tracking. Important foods included pink hedysarum (Hedysarum alpinum) roots, yellow hedysarum (H. sulphurescens) roots, bearberries (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), graminoids, horsetails (Equisetum arvense), buffaloberries (Shepherdia canadensis), and Vaccinium spp. fruits. Most foods were eaten in dry meadows, shrubfields, or open forest. Horsetails were the only notable exception; many feeding sites occurred in mature forest. The alpine zone was unimportant as feeding habitat. Seasonal changes in diet and habitat use appeared to be related to plant phenology with bears eating plant parts which seemed to be at nutritious development stages. Hedysarum roots, the bears' major food, had significantly less crude protein and more fiber when plants were flowering than when they were in pre-leaf. Related to this, digging by bears was minimal during the midsummer flowering period. Seasonal habitat use also appeared to be influenced by hedysarum phenology. As the spring digging season progressed, hedysarum diggings occurred more on north-facing slopes and at higher elevations, where phenology was retarded. Later-season root digging was inversely related to buffaloberry abundance: the volume of roots in feces during August-October was greater in 1976 and 1978, 2 years when buffaloberry abundance was significantly lower than in 1977 or 1979. We concluded that buffaloberries, known to be high in soluble carbohydrate, were preferred over hedysarum roots. During summer, grizzly bears ate horsetails in sites where the plants were in immature, nutritious development stages. The elevation of horsetail feeding sites was significantly higher in late July-August than in early July. Grizzly bears thus ate food high in soluble nutrients and low in fiber by making seasonal changes in both the food and habitat they selected. Int. Conf. Bear Res. and Manage. 7:199-213 This research documents the food habits and habitat use of grizzly bears in the Cascade and Panther valleys of Banff National Park. In addition, we have tried to understand why grizzly bears switched from 1 food to another, or moved from 1 habitat type to another. The quality, quantity, and availability of food at certain seasons or in certain habitat types were the variables considered in these analyses. This project was made possible through the cooperation of Parks Canada. In addition to financial support, we acknowledge the assistance of Parks Canada employees A.