A hypothetico-deductive approach to assessing the social function of chemical signalling in a non-territorial solitary carnivore

The function of chemical signalling in non-territorial solitary carnivores is still relatively unclear. Studies on territorial solitary and social carnivores have highlighted odour capability and utility, however the social function of chemical signalling in wild carnivore populations operating dominance hierarchy social systems has received little attention. We monitored scent marking and investigatory behaviour of wild brown bears Ursus arctos, to test multiple hypotheses relating to the social function of chemical signalling. Camera traps were stationed facing bear ‘marking trees’ to document behaviour by different age sex classes in different seasons. We found evidence to support the hypothesis that adult males utilise chemical signalling to communicate dominance to other males throughout the non-denning period. Adult females did not appear to utilise marking trees to advertise oestrous state during the breeding season. The function of marking by subadult bears is somewhat unclear, but may be related to the behaviour of adult males. Subadults investigated trees more often than they scent marked during the breeding season, which could be a result of an increased risk from adult males. Females with young showed an increase in marking and investigation of trees outside of the breeding season. We propose the hypothesis that females engage their dependent young with marking trees from a young age, at a relatively ‘safe’ time of year. Memory, experience, and learning at a young age, may all contribute towards odour capabilities in adult bears

Habitat-dependent changes in vigilance behaviour of Red-crowned Crane influenced by wildlife tourism

The Endangered Red-crowned Crane (Grus japonensis) is one of the most culturally iconic and sought-after species by wildlife tourists. Here we investigate how the presence of tourists influence the vigilance behaviour of cranes foraging in Suaeda salsa salt marshes and S. salsa/Phragmites australis mosaic habitat in the Yellow River Delta, China. We found that both the frequency and duration of crane vigilance significantly increased in the presence of wildlife tourists. Increased frequency in crane vigilance only occurred in the much taller S. salsa/P. australis mosaic vegetation whereas the duration of vigilance showed no significant difference between the two habitats. Crane vigilance declined with increasing distance from wildlife tourists in the two habitats, with a minimum distance of disturbance triggering a high degree of vigilance by cranes identified at 300 m. The presence of wildlife tourists may represent a form of disturbance to foraging cranes but is habitat dependent. Taller P. australis vegetation serves primarily as a visual obstruction for cranes, causing them to increase the frequency of vigilance behaviour. Our findings have important implications for the conservation of the migratory red-crowned crane population that winters in the Yellow River Delta and can help inform visitor management

The bear: Culture, nature, heritage

Nevin, OT ORCiD: 0000-0003-3513-8053Bears are iconic animals; they are totemic of the non-human world, symbols of multiple human-cultural manifestations of nature. In human culture, bears have played a number of roles; gods, monsters, kings, fools, brothers, lovers, dancers, medicine, food and pest. They are seen as protectors of the forest; symbols of masculinity; a comfort for our children; political bargaining chips; an economic indicator; the first casualty/poster boy of global warming; symbols for conservation; worthy adversaries for a hunter’s rifle; prize photography subjects for nature tourists, or the last bastion of wilderness. Bears offer a unique insight into a multiplicity of paradigms that explore human - non-human animal relationships. Bear totems reinforce and maintain our connection to the natural world. Myths, legends, folklore, biology and ecology have informed our understanding of bears and their place in the world. From imagined fireside tales - oral histories passed through generations - to blue-chip documentaries in the 21st century, bears enable us to ponder our lives in relation to their world and to define our own. Bears interweave with many of our cultures, and as such they have played an important role in mediating the human-nature relationship for thousands of years. Their significance has been challenged and reshaped over millennia but bears still play an important part in many lives symbolically and materially. This book explores the world of bears through the lens of human cultures and societies; encompassing history, folk stories, art, and literature alongside science and conservation. This is a novel approach to take, but one that is long overdue. Bears transcend both natural and disciplinary boundaries, and authors from diverse fields have contributed to this book, providing a rich selection of views that explore human/bear relationships. The essays explore how bears are an influence in contemporary art, and how they are represented in children’s literature and in museum exhibitions. The relationship between bears and native peoples, and how contemporary society lives alongside these animals, provides an understanding of current attitudes and approaches to bear management and conservation. The history of captive bears is brought into contemporary relief by considering the fate of captive bears held in Asian countries for bile production. Bears feature in gay culture and are an intrinsic component to research on the Yeti and Sasquatch. Together, these articles present an insight into the changing face of attitudes towards nature, species survival and the significance of conservation engagement in the 21st century; all through one very familiar and charismatic group of animals: bears. Biologists, historians, anthropologists, cultural theorists, conservationists and museologists will all find riches in the detail presented in this bear cornucopia