Movement of Four Satellite-Monitored Polar Bears in Lancaster Sound, Northwest Territories

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Four female polar bears, fitted with satellite-monitored transmitters at Lancaster Sound, N.W.T. during May 1979, were tracked to determine seasonal distribution, movements relative to ice conditions, and home range. Most locations (68.7%, n = 46) of satellite-tracked bears were on landfast ice, 13.4% (n = 9) on old pack ice, 13.4% (n = 9) on land, 3.0% (n = 2) on bergy water, and 1.5% (n = I) on young pack ice. These observations support the conclusions of mark-recapture studies in the area, that landfast ice is favored until breakup when bears move onto land. Data from the satellite-tracked bears indicate that they had home ranges.Key words: polar bear, telemetry, satellite RÉSUMÉ. Une observation de quatre ours blancs pourvus de transmetteurs àrepérage par satellite fut effectuee au détroit de Lancaster, dans les T. N.-O., en mai 1979, afin de determiner leur distribution saisonniere, leurs mouvements par rapport aux conditions des glaces et leur domaine individuel. La plupart des localisations (68,7%, n = 46) des ours étaient sur la banquise côtiere, 13,4% (n = 9) sur de la vieille banquise, 13,4% (n=9) sur terre ferme, 3,0% ( n = 2 ) dans des eaux comblées d'icebergs et 13% (n= 1) sur de la jeune banquise. Ces observations appuient les conclusions des etudes par marquage et recapture dans la région selon lesquelles la banquise côtikre est favorisée jusqu'au déglacement, période à laquelle les ours se rendent sur terre ferme. Les données obtenues des ours suivis par satellite laissent savoir qu'ils se déplaçaient à l'intérieur de leurs domaines individuels.

High Latitude Changes in Ice Dynamics and Their Impact on Polar Marine Ecosystems

“…Most importantly, the polar bear requires sea ice to feed: it hunts ringed ( Phoca hispida ) and bearded seals ( Erignathus barbatus ) as well as other ice‐associated marine mammals (such as walrus, beluga whale, or harp seals) by lying in wait at breathing holes in the ice, by stalking their prey on ice floes, or by leaping on snow‐covered seal birth lairs (e.g., Martin & Jonkel 1983; Hammill & Smith 1991). Sea ice can also be a platform on which polar bears seek out mates and copulate (Ramsay & Stirling 1986) and on which they traverse long migratory routes (Schweinsburg & Lee 1982). It is a drifting means of reaching maternity denning sites on land (Harington 1968) and can serve as a denning site itself (Lentfer 1975; Amstrup 1986).…”

Using tri-axial accelerometers to identify wild polar bear behaviors

“…Nelson 1966, Kalxdorff 1997, Kochnev et al 2003, Voorhees et al 2014) and direct observational research limited to 2 locations over limited time periods (Stirling 1974, Stirling & Latour 1978, Hansson & Thomassen 1983, Stirling et al 2016. Satellite telemetry has been used to track polar bears in some subpopulations since the late 1970s (Schweinsburg & Lee 1982, Taylor 1986) and has helped to identify important habitats (Ferguson et al 2000, Mauritzen et al 2003, Durner et al 2009). However, detailed behavioral data in association with habitat conditions are lacking.…”

Phylogenetic Analysis of Covariance by Computer Simulation

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