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Capture And On-Site Release Of Nuisance Black Bears And Survival Of Orphaned Black Bears Released In The Great Smoky Mountains, Jay Edwin Clark
Capture And On-Site Release Of Nuisance Black Bears And Survival Of Orphaned Black Bears Released In The Great Smoky Mountains, Jay Edwin Clark
Masters Theses
Since the establishment of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) in 1934, interactions between black bears (Ursus americanus) and visitors have been a regular occurrence. Prior to 1990, capture and relocation was the primary management alternative for nuisance bears in GSMNP. Since 1990, wildlife biologists in GSMNP have used capture and on-site release as an aversive conditioning technique for nuisance black bears. This technique involves capturing and immobilizing bears that frequent developed areas, collecting biological data, and releasing the bears back into the same area. The premise of this technique is to reinforce the natural fear of humans and thereby …