Ten-year study in Alberta found warmer grizzly bears fatter, more fertile

Research by the University of Alberta shows that grizzly bears in parts of the province are getting fatter and more fertile thanks to global warming. The study conducted over 10 years found that warmer temperatures and easier access to food help grizzlies build more body fat and increase their likelihood of reproduction. Bears in more development-prone foothills of the Rockies are generally larger and healthier than those in remote old-growth forests in places like Jasper National Park, data shows. “It is kind of contrary to what you would think,” Scott Nielsen, a biologist in the university’s Department of Renewable Resources, said. Bears in secluded alpine environments are less productive because they have a more limited food supply, Nielsen said. The down side is that animals that live closer to development have higher mortality rates. “The bears do better, but they don’t live as long,” Nielsen said. “The important thing is controlling their interactions with people."...more