Connect with us

Alaska

Some Alaska bears spent a lot of time eating berries, so this biologist wondered, are they less carnivorous than we think?

Published

on

Some Alaska bears spent a lot of time eating berries, so this biologist wondered, are they less carnivorous than we think?



Captive grownup feminine brown bears of their train yard at Washington State College’s Bear Middle in Pullman, Washington (Washington State College)

Bears just like the heavyweight contenders in Katmai Nationwide Park’s Fats Bear Week competitors are clearly consuming loads of salmon.

However bears are seemingly consuming extra berries than you’ll suppose. That’s in keeping with analysis revealed within the journal Scientific Stories final month that claims bears of every kind want a extra blended weight loss program.

The examine is the work of biologist Charles Robbins, a bear diet knowledgeable at Washington State College’s Bear Middle, which is the one analysis establishment within the U.S. with a captive brown bear inhabitants.

Advertisement

It was an remark within the wilds of Alaska, although, that obtained Robbins pondering perhaps bears aren’t as carnivorous as we thought.

Pay attention:

[Sign up for Alaska Public Media’s daily newsletter to get our top stories delivered to your inbox.]

The next transcript has been flippantly edited for readability.

Charles Robbins: We all know that salmon are only a fantastic useful resource, and so we had been watching streams that had been a kilometer lengthy and simply pool after pool after pool of salmon and simply perhaps six, seven inches of water, so simply catchable. And what we noticed had been bears that might are available in and eat, definitely, they’d are available in and eat salmon. However we simply hypothesized that they’d eat salmon, go to shore, sleep it off, are available in, eat extra salmon and simply do 24 hours of that. However what we noticed was that, after they felt up on salmon, they’d go off into the encompassing, normally uplands, and eat berries. And the berries had been small, dispersed, extensively unfold out. They usually’d spend six to 10 hours a day consuming berries and being in these berry fields. And it simply didn’t make any sense for us. So at that stage, we got here again to WSU the place we might work with our captive bears and arrange experiments to assist us perceive it. We assumed at that stage that the bears definitely knew what they had been doing, so it was as much as us to have the ability to achieve perception into understanding how they seen these two meals assets.

Advertisement

Casey Grove: That’s proper, you might have a inhabitants of captive grizzly bears there. Inform me a bit of bit about that.

CR: Yeah, we began a captive grizzly bear analysis program 36 years in the past now. And it’s the interaction between each captive and wild research says that has yielded so many fascinating outcomes and research. If we’re simply finding out wild bears, there’s solely a lot we are able to perceive. If we’re finding out captive bears, our understanding is restricted by not with the ability to work with these wild bears. So after we had each of them, then we are able to study a lot extra. They’re are solely about 4 blocks from my workplace. The general public has quick access to them, so a reasonably open facility.

A man holds a bottle of milk for a small brown bear cub as a light brown dog looks on.
Charles Robbins, a professor of biology and director of analysis at Washington State College’s Bear Middle, bottle-feeds a younger brown bear cub named Kio, whereas Robbins’ canine Mandy seems to be on. (Washington State College)

CG: Together with your captive bears there, do you guys have any form of competitions? Or do you even identify them or something?

CR: We identify them. The scholars, if we’ve some cubs born or herald a bear from the wild, the scholars get first crack at naming them, and we simply have a vote on form of the best identify to recollect and say. Aside from that, we don’t have actually any competitions. We now have 11 bears, so we all know them as people. They’ve huge personalities, they’re enjoyable, they’re difficult. They’re only a fantastic animal to make use of in our analysis program. They go by names like Luna and John and Frank. And so it’s straightforward for us to latch on to 1 or the opposite as our favourite bear.

CG: That was that was gonna be my subsequent query, what are their names?

CR: One standard one proper now could be Adak. He’s form of a pansy. He gained’t defend the meals that we feed him. And so even small females will take his meals away. He’s form of an un-grizzly grizzly bear. So we form of cheer for him. And hopefully sometime he’ll develop up.

Advertisement

CG: He must learn to shield his meals, huh?

CR: He does. He must learn to be a grizzly bear.

CG: So that you made this remark, you went again to Washington State College, and also you stated you began fascinated by experiments that might provide help to get at this query. And the way did that go?

CR: We now have some native hatcheries, so on the time, we had been getting important runs again, and they also had been prepared to supply the salmon. Clearly, I don’t have sufficient college students on board to go decide huckleberries within the quantity that huge grizzly bears or brown bears would need to eat. However we’ve an apple orchard proper subsequent door that may be very, the apples are very, very comparable when it comes to being loads of water, excessive carbohydrate and never an excessive amount of else. We began doing research the place we might feed bears, if we’re speaking about salmon, all the way in which from simply sustaining their weight as much as gaining prodigious quantities, and the identical on apples. After which, so the subsequent factor we did was feed each apples and salmon. And we let, in loads of research, we let the bears simply decide what that combination can be. And after they blended them each day, then they gained extra weight per unit of power consumption than both salmon alone or apples alone. And so there was an interplay impact, the place by consuming each meals, it truly supplied a greater weight loss program than both meals alone. And that was what we had been seeing within the wild bears. So the captive bears, given the selection, would do precisely what we had been seeing within the wild bears.

CG: Attention-grabbing, yeah. And is it nearly gaining weight or are there different dietary advantages to consuming a extra blended weight loss program?

Advertisement

CR: Properly, yeah. You’re can all the time argue that there’s one thing in these berries that’s not within the salmon. There’s a physiological profit in {that a} excessive protein weight loss program like salmon, it’s exhausting on the liver and exhausting on the kidneys. In different phrases, all this protein flooding the system, that that protein, the surplus nitrogen within the protein will get eliminated within the liver, transformed into urea after which then excreted by way of the kidneys. That course of is power demanding, and there’s loads of ammonia concerned. And so it’s, once more, exhausting on these two organs. And so by mixing in carbohydrates and transferring the protein content material all the way down to a decrease degree that’s applicable for an omnivore, there’s a suggestions mechanism that claims that to the bear, that’s a greater weight loss program.

CG: Why had been we getting this fallacious, I suppose, pondering that they only wished 100% salmon, or not less than, you realize, a complete lot extra salmon?

CR: Gosh, that’s a tricky one. I suppose simply because we see these these bears (at) McNeil River and Katmai Falls and all of these areas. And from a diet standpoint, as I stated, the salmon are only a fantastic protein, power, mineral, vitamin supply. So there’s little doubt that they’re only a nice useful resource. And so I suppose we by no means regarded past (that). I’m positive different individuals noticed this relationship the place they’d see bears feeding on salmon after which disappear. However, you realize, till GPS collars got here alongside and extra delicate radio monitoring functionality, we in all probability didn’t look a lot on the different facet of what they had been doing, as soon as they, you realize, went into these elderberry patches the place we couldn’t even see them, or salmon berry patches.

CG: So then there are implications, I might think about, for this going ahead, whether or not it’s with captive bears or with bears within the wild. How does this analysis inform us in in these methods? I imply, what implications are there form of going ahead right here?

CR: Oh, the best direct relationship is with different captive obstacles. And we’ve gone on to check, with USGS colleagues, polar bears and the way they’re fed in zoos and what they’re consuming within the wild. They usually’re low protein, excessive fats, omnivores. And the instructions for taking good care of polar bears in zoos has been to make use of home cat dietary requirements. Cats are excessive protein, low fats. In different phrases, simply the other of what a polar bear needs to be fed. And so polar bears die in zoos about 10 years sooner than they need to be dying. And the 2 most prevalent causes are liver most cancers and kidney failure. And so we’re definitely selling that zoos change the methods during which they feed these bears. Brown Bears are a bit of bit extra adaptable, they’re extra able to dealing with not the very best stability and doing okay, however it’s even good if we are able to get them to feed them a greater one.

Advertisement





Source link

Alaska

Nearly 70 years ago, the world’s first satellite took flight. Three Alaska scientists were among the first North Americans to spot it.

Published

on

Nearly 70 years ago, the world’s first satellite took flight. Three Alaska scientists were among the first North Americans to spot it.


On any clear, dark night you can see them, gliding through the sky and reflecting sunlight from the other side of the world. Manmade satellites now orbit our planet by the thousands, and it’s hard to stargaze without seeing one.

The inky black upper atmosphere was less busy 68 years ago, when a few young scientists stepped out of a trailer near Fairbanks to look into the cold October sky. Gazing upward, they saw the moving dot that started it all, the Russian-launched Sputnik 1.

Those Alaskans, working for the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, were the first North American scientists to see the satellite, which was the size and shape of a basketball and, at 180 pounds, weighed about as much as a point guard.

Advertisement

The Alaska researchers studied radio astronomy at the campus in Fairbanks. They had their own tracking station in a clearing in the forest on the northern portion of university land. This station, set up to study the aurora and other features of the upper atmosphere, enabled the scientists to be ready when a reporter called the institute with news of the Russians’ secret launch of the world’s first manmade satellite.

Within a half-hour of that call, an official with the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., called Geophysical Institute Deputy Director C. Gordon Little with radio frequencies that Sputnik emitted.

“The scientists at the Institute poured out of their offices like stirred-up bees,” wrote a reporter for the Farthest North Collegian, the UAF campus newspaper.

Crowded into a trailer full of equipment about a mile north of their offices, the scientists received the radio beep-beep-beep from Sputnik and were able to calculate its orbit. They figured it would be visible in the northwestern sky at about 5 a.m. the next day.

On that morning, three of them stepped outside the trailer to see what Little described as “a bright star-like object moving in a slow, graceful curve across the sky like a very slow shooting star.”

Advertisement

For the record, scientists may not have been the first Alaskans to see Sputnik. In a 1977 article, the founder of this column, T. Neil Davis, described how his neighbor, Dexter Stegemeyer, said he had seen a strange moving star come up out of the west as he was sitting in his outhouse. Though Stegemeyer didn’t know what he saw until he spoke with Davis, his sighting was a bit earlier than the scientists’.

The New York Times’ Oct. 7, 1957 edition included a front-page headline of “SATELLITE SEEN IN ALASKA,” and Sputnik caused a big fuss all over the country. People wondered about the implications of the Soviet object looping over America every 98 minutes. Within a year, Congress voted to create NASA.

Fears about Sputnik evaporated as three months later the U.S. launched its own satellite, Explorer 1, and eventually took the lead in the race for space.

Almost 70 later, satellites are part of everyday life. The next time you see a satellite streaking through the night sky, remember the first scientist on this continent to see one was standing in Alaska. And the first non-scientist to see a satellite in North America was sitting in Alaska.





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Alaska

Western Alaska storm and southerly flow drives warmth back into the state

Published

on

Western Alaska storm and southerly flow drives warmth back into the state


ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Gusty winds and heavy snow has begun to spread into Western and Southwest Alaska, with a surge of warmer air. Temperatures in Southwest Alaska is already 10 to 35 degrees warmer than yesterday morning. This warmth will spread across the rest of the state through the weekend, with some of the most pronounced warmth along the Slope. We’ll see many areas this weekend into next week remaining well-above average.

SOUTHCENTRAL:

Temperatures are slowly warming across Southcentral, with many areas seeing cloud coverage increasing. While we could see some peeks of sunshine today, most locations will see mostly cloudy conditions. While we can’t rule out light flurries for inland locations, most of the precipitation today will occur near the coast. Snow looks to be the primary precipitation type, although later this evening a transition to rain or wintry mix will occur. This comes as temperatures quickly warm across Southcentral.

We’ll see highs today in the upper 20s and lower 30s for inland areas, while coastal regions warm into the 30s and 40s. The southerly flow aloft will remain with us for several days, pumping in the warmth and moisture. As a result, Kodiak could see over an inch of rain today, with gusty winds.

Advertisement

While most of the precipitation this weekend remains near the coast, inland areas will see the best chance for wintry mix Sunday into Monday. Little to no accumulation is expected.

The key takeaways for this weekend, is snow transitioning to rain, with some gusty winds likely for parts of Southcentral this weekend.

SOUTHEAST:

Another fairly quiet day is expected across Southeast today, outside of some light snow near Yakutat. We’ll see a mix of sun and clouds with temperatures remaining on the cooler side. Parts of the Northern Panhandle may stay in the upper 20s today. The stretch of quiet weather will stay with us through the first half of Saturday, followed by an increase in precipitation and winds. This upcoming system may bring some heavy snowfall to Southeast, so be prepared for that potential this weekend. Temperatures warm into next week, back into the upper 30s and lower 40s for many areas.

INTERIOR:

Advertisement

While temperatures this morning have bottomed out as low as -30 near Fort Yukon, temperatures will warm into the weekend. A wind advisory for the Alaska Range goes into effect at 9 Friday morning, where winds up to 60 mph will warm the Interior. Temperatures today for many locations will warm into the single digits, with some of the greatest warming arriving Saturday through next week. It’s likely we’ll spend most of next week with temperatures in the 20s and 30s, with the warmest locations near the Alaska Range. While we will largely stay dry, there is a chance for some light snow arriving Sunday night into Monday.

SLOPE/WESTERN ALASKA:

Temperatures will remain slightly above average for parts of the Slope today, with warming winds to build into the Slope this weekend. This comes as our area of low pressure in the Bering Sea continues to move farther north. Be prepared for gusty easterly winds along the Slope, leading to blowing snow and reduced visibility. We’ll see temperatures quickly warm well above average, with highs climbing into the 20s and 30s along the Slope into next week. While some snow is possible through the weekend, the heaviest activity will occur for the Brooks Range. We’ll see the potential for 4 to 12 inches of snowfall, with the highest amounts occurring along the southern slopes of the Brooks Range near Kobuk Valley. Winds could gusts as high as 45 mph, leading to greatly reduced visibility.

Heavy snow is impacting Western and Southwest Alaska this morning, with winds gusting up to 50 mph. Numerous winter weather alerts, as well as a coastal flood advisory is in effect. The heaviest snow will fall for the Seward Peninsula and east of Norton Sound, where up to a foot or more of snow is to be expected. The heaviest amounts will fall today, with the activity set to lighten up through Sunday. In addition to the snow, gusty winds will lead to areas of blowing snow. Visibility could be reduced down to less than half a mile at times. As southerly flow continues to pump in warmth, we’ll see a transition from snow to rain later today into Saturday for parts of Southwest Alaska.

ALEUTIANS:

Advertisement

Gusty winds and heavy rain will fall through the Aleutians today, where up to .75″ of rain is possible. As the area of low pressure moves north, we’ll see a new low form just south of the Eastern Aleutians. This will lead to additional rain and winds into the weekend. Winds could gusts upwards of 50 mph through the Eastern Aleutians and through the Alaska Peninsula. With ridging to our east, more rain and winds remain with us into early next week. There is the potential that the Pribilof Islands see a return to snow Sunday, as colder air moves into the Bering Sea.

OUTLOOK AHEAD:

Well above average warmth will stay with us as we close out January. While one more short-lived cold snap is possible, we may have to wait until February before we tap into warmer conditions. Temperatures through the close of January will keep average monthly temperatures 5 to 12 degrees above average for much of the state. The overall trend still favors a wetter pattern, although with warmer weather the southern parts of the state will favor more rain or a mixed bag of precipitation.

Have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend.

See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Alaska

Alaska governor, ally of Trump, will keep flags at full-staff for Inauguration Day • Alaska Beacon

Published

on

Alaska governor, ally of Trump, will keep flags at full-staff for Inauguration Day • Alaska Beacon


Alaska will join several other Republican-led states by keeping flags at full-staff on Inauguration Day despite the national period of mourning following President Jimmy Carter’s death last month.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced his decision, which breaks prior precedent, in a statement on Thursday. It applies only to flags on state property. Flags on federal property are expected to remain at half-staff.

Flags on state property will be returned to half-staff after Inauguration Day for the remainder of the mourning period.

The governors of Indiana, Idaho, Iowa, Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Nebraska, Montana and Alabama, among others, have announced similar moves. 

Advertisement

U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, said on Tuesday that flags at the U.S. Capitol would remain at full-staff on Inauguration Day. 

Their actions follow a statement from President-elect Donald Trump, who said in a Jan. 3 social media post that Democrats would be “giddy” to have flags lowered during his inauguration, adding, “Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it. Let’s see how it plays out.”

Dunleavy is seen as a friend of the incoming president and has met with him multiple times over the past year. Dunleavy and 21 other Republican governors visited Trump last week in Florida at an event that Trump described as “a love fest.”

Since 1954, flags have been lowered to half-staff during a federally prescribed 30-day mourning period following presidential deaths. In 1973, the second inauguration of President Richard Nixon took place during the mourning period that followed the death of President Harry Truman. 

Then-Gov. Bill Egan made no exceptions for Alaska, contemporary news accounts show, and no exception was made for Nixon’s inauguration in Washington, D.C., either. 

Advertisement

A spokesperson for Dunleavy’s office said the new precedent is designed to be a balance between honoring the ongoing mourning period for former President Jimmy Carter and recognizing the importance of the peaceful transition of power during the presidential inauguration. 

“Temporarily raising the flags to full-staff for the inauguration underscores the significance of this democratic tradition, while returning them to half-staff afterward ensures continued respect for President Carter’s legacy,” the spokesperson said.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

Advertisement



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending