A recent study revealed that grizzly bears in the Canadian Rockies have adjusted their movements due to human activity, avoiding coal mines, highways, reservoirs, and towns. The research, based on two decades of GPS collar data from over 100 grizzly bears, highlighted the significant impact of human presence on the bears’ movement patterns in a vast 85,000-square-kilometer area spanning southern British Columbia and Alberta.
Lead author Eric Palm, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Montana, noted the loss of connectivity among grizzly bears in the southern Canadian Rocky Mountains. He emphasized that the proliferation of new coal mines, towns, and highways could further impede the bears’ ability to roam and forage, potentially endangering their populations in the long run.
The lifting of a coal mining moratorium in the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains by the province in January has raised concerns about the future of bear habitats. Palm highlighted the risks posed by upcoming human developments, including expansions of existing coal mines and proposals for new mining projects, which could exacerbate the fragmentation of bear habitats and impede their movement between different patches of land.
The study also projected that continued development would create more barriers, limiting the bears’ access to food sources and increasing their proximity to human infrastructure like roads. This trend could lead to isolation among bear populations, affecting their genetic diversity and breeding success.
While efforts such as wildlife crossings over roads aim to enhance habitat connectivity, the effectiveness of these measures remains variable. Palm stressed the importance of landscape-scale planning to ensure the preservation of wildlife corridors and to facilitate the movement of animal populations across the region. Maintaining open pathways for wildlife amidst human development is crucial to safeguarding the long-term well-being of grizzly bears and other wildlife species in the Rockies.