SPATIOTEMPORAL RESPONSES OF BROWN BEARS TO DOG-ASSISTED WILD BOAR HUNTS IN THE CATALAN PYRENEES
(2025) BION02 20242Degree Projects in Biology
- Abstract
- Understanding how human activities influence wildlife behavior and habitat use is crucial for the conservation of large carnivores, such as the brown bear (Ursus arctos), in human-dominated landscapes. This thesis investigates the effects of dog-assisted wild boar hunts on the strictly protected Pyrenean brown bear population in Catalonia (hereafter named as “non-targeted hunting”). I examined the spatial overlap between suitable habitat for brown bear females with cubs and designated hunting grounds. I analyzed brown bear occupancy in hunting and non-hunting grounds during the hunting season. Ultimately, I explored activity patterns between hunting and non-hunting grounds, before and during the hunting season. Hunting grounds had nearly... (More)
- Understanding how human activities influence wildlife behavior and habitat use is crucial for the conservation of large carnivores, such as the brown bear (Ursus arctos), in human-dominated landscapes. This thesis investigates the effects of dog-assisted wild boar hunts on the strictly protected Pyrenean brown bear population in Catalonia (hereafter named as “non-targeted hunting”). I examined the spatial overlap between suitable habitat for brown bear females with cubs and designated hunting grounds. I analyzed brown bear occupancy in hunting and non-hunting grounds during the hunting season. Ultimately, I explored activity patterns between hunting and non-hunting grounds, before and during the hunting season. Hunting grounds had nearly double the amount of suitable habitat for females with cubs than non-hunting grounds. Occupancy models indicated a high probability that hunting disturbance reduces bear presence in hunting grounds, although results were inconclusive. Brown bears exhibit different activity patterns between hunting and non-hunting grounds during the hunting season, with a higher proportion of nocturnal observations and a diminished dawn activity peak in hunting grounds. This study represents the first evaluation of non-targeted hunting effects in a strictly protected brown bear population and suggests that dog-assisted wild boar hunts create a landscape of fear that influences bear behavior and habitat use. These findings underscore the importance of considering non-targeted hunting impacts when developing effective, targeted conservation measures for vulnerable large carnivore populations. Future research should focus on fine-scale comparisons of bear space use and activity before and after individual hunting events to disentangle hunting effects more precisely. (Less)
- Popular Abstract
- How do wild boar hunts affect brown bears in the Pyrenees?
The Pyrenees are home to one of Europe’s most vulnerable populations of brown bears. Thanks to the re-introduction of new individuals, the Pyrenean brown bear population is slowly recovering and returning to its former range. Nowadays, although bears themselves are not hunted, other activities like dog-assisted wild boar hunts continue to occur in many parts of their habitat, constituting a potential threat to this recovering population.
Wild boar hunting in Catalonia takes place mostly in autumn and winter, which overlaps with the sensitive period of bear hyperphagia and could have detrimental consequences for the population (e.g., disturbance while fattening up for... (More) - How do wild boar hunts affect brown bears in the Pyrenees?
The Pyrenees are home to one of Europe’s most vulnerable populations of brown bears. Thanks to the re-introduction of new individuals, the Pyrenean brown bear population is slowly recovering and returning to its former range. Nowadays, although bears themselves are not hunted, other activities like dog-assisted wild boar hunts continue to occur in many parts of their habitat, constituting a potential threat to this recovering population.
Wild boar hunting in Catalonia takes place mostly in autumn and winter, which overlaps with the sensitive period of bear hyperphagia and could have detrimental consequences for the population (e.g., disturbance while fattening up for hibernation, negative effects on reproduction). In this study, I investigated potential negative effects of hunting by studying the spatial and behavioral responses of brown bears to dog-assisted wild boar hunts using three years of camera trap data in the Catalan Pyrenees.
The results revealed that hunting grounds contain a greater proportion of highly suitable- habitat for females with cubs as compared to non-hunting grounds. Despite their high-quality habitat, bears tended to avoid active hunting grounds during the hunting season, although a more exhaustive study design is needed to confirm this pattern. Additionally, bears were more likely to shift to nocturnal activity within hunting grounds during the hunting season, likely to avoid encounters with hunters and dogs during daytime.
Why is this important for conservation?
The overlap between wild boar hunts and high-quality bear habitat highlights the need to consider indirect threats when developing conservation strategies. While bears themselves are protected from hunting, the hunting of other species within their habitat can still impact their behavior and space use. By taking these results into account, conservation strategies can better balance the needs of vulnerable bear populations and local hunting traditions.
Finally, the study suggests practical measures to improve the conservation of brown bears in the Catalan Pyrenees. These include improving bear monitoring in hunting grounds, shifting hunts away from critical habitats when necessary, and using GPS collars to track bears’ movement. Future studies should focus on comparing bear activity and space use before and after individual hunting events to better understand and disentangle the specific effects of hunting disturbance.
Master’s degree project in Biology, 45 credits 2025
Department of Biology, Lund University
Advisors: Victor Sazatornil and Ana Sanz, Ola Olsson
Advisors Unit/Department: Forest Science and Technology Center of Catalonia (Forest Ecosystem Consservation Group), Lund University (Department of Biology) (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9212761
- author
- Badia Torras, Gemma
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- BION02 20242
- year
- 2025
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- language
- English
- id
- 9212761
- date added to LUP
- 2025-09-18 14:47:35
- date last changed
- 2025-09-18 14:47:35
@misc{9212761,
abstract = {{Understanding how human activities influence wildlife behavior and habitat use is crucial for the conservation of large carnivores, such as the brown bear (Ursus arctos), in human-dominated landscapes. This thesis investigates the effects of dog-assisted wild boar hunts on the strictly protected Pyrenean brown bear population in Catalonia (hereafter named as “non-targeted hunting”). I examined the spatial overlap between suitable habitat for brown bear females with cubs and designated hunting grounds. I analyzed brown bear occupancy in hunting and non-hunting grounds during the hunting season. Ultimately, I explored activity patterns between hunting and non-hunting grounds, before and during the hunting season. Hunting grounds had nearly double the amount of suitable habitat for females with cubs than non-hunting grounds. Occupancy models indicated a high probability that hunting disturbance reduces bear presence in hunting grounds, although results were inconclusive. Brown bears exhibit different activity patterns between hunting and non-hunting grounds during the hunting season, with a higher proportion of nocturnal observations and a diminished dawn activity peak in hunting grounds. This study represents the first evaluation of non-targeted hunting effects in a strictly protected brown bear population and suggests that dog-assisted wild boar hunts create a landscape of fear that influences bear behavior and habitat use. These findings underscore the importance of considering non-targeted hunting impacts when developing effective, targeted conservation measures for vulnerable large carnivore populations. Future research should focus on fine-scale comparisons of bear space use and activity before and after individual hunting events to disentangle hunting effects more precisely.}},
author = {{Badia Torras, Gemma}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{SPATIOTEMPORAL RESPONSES OF BROWN BEARS TO DOG-ASSISTED WILD BOAR HUNTS IN THE CATALAN PYRENEES}},
year = {{2025}},
}