Title
Conservation Status of the Andean Bear, Tremarctos Ornatos, at the Chingaza National Natural Park.
Author(s)
Parra, Angela; Bianchi, Guillermo; Galindo, Robinson; Marquez, Robert
Published
2017
Abstract
The Chingaza National Natural Park (PNNChi), located in the eastern Colombian mountain range, contributes with the conservation of 766 Km² “Andean forests and paramo” that are Andean bear shelters. Around the Park there are inadequate farming practices that have contributed to the fragmentation and loss of their habitat, increasing the conflict bear-people, giving as a result hunting of the specie. In 2010, PNNChi and WCS joined efforts to begin with a monitoring program which allowed to find out the status and trends of the bear, based on models of occupation. During this year at the western region of the park, 75 transects of 1800m each were visited, in search of direct and indirect presence of the bear. This activity was repeated in 2014. Using models of a single season we determined an increase in occupation ( ) in four years (estimated from = 0.79 (S.E. 0.11, detectability = 0.59) until =1.0 (S.E. <0.01, detectability= 0.99), being this a significant difference (Test of Wald Z=1.9) between those two periods. This could be due to the increase of the bear population by births in the whole massif or the migration of bears from outside to inside the protected area, due to the increase of pressures around the park. Since 2011 the PNNChi has trap cameras that helps on identifying 36 individuals in the western region, including the registration of numerous females with cubs, as well as bears eating carrion. PNNChi has implemented actions to reduce the presence of threats to the bear, such as the presence of cattle and feral dogs. Currently, interagency partnerships are being made that will allow us to know the state of the bear and its threats in the massif, an area of 1116,67 Km², to determine conservation actions based on adaptive management.

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