A cutting-edge tracking innovation is set to revolutionize polar bear research. York University and its partners have developed ‘burr on fur’ trackers, offering unprecedented insights into these majestic creatures’ behavior and energy conservation strategies.
A groundbreaking advancement in wildlife tracking, published in the journal Animal Biotelemetry, is shedding new light on the elusive behavior of polar bears, thanks to a collaborative effort led by York University. Partnering with the University of Alberta, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Manitoba Sustainable Development, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, and Polar Bears International, the researchers have unveiled new “burr on fur” trackers designed to non-invasively study these Arctic giants.
The innovative “burr on fur” technology involves small devices that adhere to the fur of the bears, much like traditional burrs from plants. These trackers confirmed longstanding hypotheses that subadult and adult male polar bears primarily spend their time on land, conserving energy by remaining relatively inactive until the sea ice returns.
Such insights are critically important because they provide detailed knowledge about the energy conservation strategies polar bears employ during ice-free periods. This understanding is crucial for developing more effective conservation strategies, especially as climate change continues to reduce the number of ice-covered days each year.
York University’s multidisciplinary team tested three different tracker prototypes to assess their effectiveness. This rigorous approach ensures precise data collection and reliability, which is vital for ongoing research.
“Successfully attaching telemetry tags to polar bear fur has never been done before, and we’re excited to share the results of this innovative work,” Tyler Ross, the study’s lead author and a researcher at York University’s Faculty of Science, said in a news release. “The fur tags showed great promise and give researchers the ability to study the behaviors and movements of polar bears that we have very little data on, like subadult and adult male bears.”
Credit: York University researcher Tyler Ross, Polar Bear International
Polar bears are increasingly threatened by climate change, with the shrinking ice caps limiting their ability to hunt seals, their primary food source. As a result, they are forced to spend more time on land, where food is scarce. By using these innovative trackers, scientists can gather data that aids in understanding how these animals are adapting to their rapidly changing environment.
The development of the “burr on fur” trackers marks a significant leap forward in wildlife research technology. It not only minimizes the stress and disturbance to the animals compared to traditional collar trackers but also offers a more detailed and accurate picture of their behavior and movement patterns.
The collaborative nature of this project highlights the importance of interdisciplinary efforts in addressing global environmental challenges. The data collected through this new tracking method will be invaluable in informing policies and conservation strategies aimed at protecting polar bear populations, which are symbolically linked to the broader issues of climate change and environmental preservation.
“Our results are an important step in better understanding the movements and behavior of polar bears, especially adult male bears, which are difficult to track because they can’t be fitted with satellite collars,” Gregory Thiemann, the study’s co-author and associate professor of York University’s Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, who is an expert in the ecology of polar bears and Arctic marine mammals, said in the news release. “Temporary, fur-mounted tags could also help track the movements of bears relocated after potentially coming into conflict with people, making these tags an important tool for conserving polar bears and keeping northern communities safe.”
In conclusion, the introduction of “burr on fur” trackers represents a pivotal moment in polar bear research. This innovation could profoundly impact how scientists study and understand polar bear behavior, ultimately contributing to the species’ conservation in an era of unprecedented environmental change.