Bear Research: URSUS Review

One of the best starting places for bear information is URSUS, the scientific journal for the International Association for Bear Research and Management.

The journal recently put many of its publications on line and it provides a treasue of information for both professionals and bear enthusiasts.

If you are a layman, don't be intimidated by the scientific angle of the journal. The majority of articles are short, approximately five pages, with very readable statistics. The range of topics covered is a wide as the world range of bears.

Since there are no bears in Austraia, Antarctica or Africa, URSUS articles do not cover these continents. However, it does cover almost anything you might want to know about the status of bears in their natural range.

When you click on the link that says, "Ursus Volumes" you are taken to a page that lists all the available published volumes. Currently volumes 2-11 only list article titles and abstracts. Volumes 12-18 present full articles.

Volume 12, for example, was originally published in 2000. The first article is a twelve pages (including references) entitled, Status and Management of the Brown Bear in Europe.

The article is well written with a map and statistics of bear populations in European states. It also includes a discussion of bear population management issues regionally and state wide.

If you are interested in Grizzly bear food habits in the northern Yukon, Canada, Volume 14(2) has the answers.

In brief, URSUS reminds us about the value of the world wide web. It provides great information that is available to anyone with a click of the mouse.

© 2007 Patricia A. Michaels