Oregon Zoo polar bears and lasers: Teammates in the push for safer monitoring in the wild

Two polar bears on the Oregon Zoo are serving to biologists check new scanning tools that would present a non-invasive approach to monitor bears within the wild.

Researchers from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey and Nationwide Park Service examined the brand new state-of-the-art laser expertise on Amelia Grey and Nora, in line with the zoo.

Whereas the bears had been occupied with frozen treats to maintain them in place, scientists educated the laser scanner on them from a roof above their enclosure.

“Nora and Amelia Grey had been so enjoyable to work with,” stated Lindsey Mangipane, polar bear biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “And their care employees did an important job getting them in place that we may conduct the scans.”

Researchers normally exit on the ocean ice and seize wild polar bears within the spring to weigh them, however that has turn out to be tougher with world warming, Mangipane stated. The hope is to remove the necessity for the massive metallic tripod historically used to weigh the bears, which requires that they be captured and immobilized, in line with Mangipane.

Comparable laser expertise was utilized by the Nationwide Park Service to picture brown bears in Katmai Nationwide Park for Fats Bear Week, giving Mangipane and her colleagues the concept to adapt the laser imaging system to different bears within the wild. That is the primary time the expertise is getting used on bears with recognized weights, permitting the group to precisely calibrate the laser expertise, Mangipane stated.

Weight is an indication of excellent well being in bears, and having the ability to monitor the weights of polar bears may present insights on the well being implications of local weather change on the species, in line with Mangipane.

“A fats bear is a wholesome bear,” Mangipane stated. “It’s a very necessary metric we use as biologists to have a look at the overall well being of a inhabitants.”

Amelia and Nora have been serving to researchers for a number of years. Nora participates in analysis on caloric necessities for wild polar bears, spending time in a swim chamber designed to observe her situation and actions, in line with the zoo. Earlier than shifting to Oregon, Amelia was one of some bears testing the Burr on Fur prototype designed by 3M – a science and innovation firm – to offer scientists a greater approach to monitor wild bears, the zoo stated.

This isn’t the primary polar duo on the Oregon Zoo to contribute to science. In 2012, polar bears Conrad and Tasul turned the primary of their species to offer blood with out anesthetic – a breakthrough in improved animal welfare, in line with Amy Reducing, interim director of animal care and conservation at Oregon Zoo.

Tasul additionally labored with polar bear scientist Karyn Rode to supply extra details about local weather change’s impact on the diets of untamed polar bears, and on creating a extra correct monitoring collar, the announcement stated.

“We nonetheless have gaps in understanding how local weather change is affecting polar bears, so it’s important that the bears in our care assist scientists be taught extra about their species,” Reducing stated. “Zoo bears are excellent candidates to assist as a result of they already take part in lots of health-care behaviors voluntarily.”

Oregon Zoo is part of a number of research with the Polar Bear Analysis Council. The council has launched its 2022 Polar Bear Analysis Masterplan, offering a roadmap to crucial research for polar bear conservation.

– Austin De Dios