Predation on Moose Calves by European Brown Bears

• Published in: The Journal of Wildlife Management
• Main Authors: SWENSON, JON E., DAHLE, BJØRN, BUSK, HELENA, OPSETH, OLE, JOHANSEN, THOMAS, SÖDERBERG, ARNE, WALLIN, KJELL, CEDERLUND, GORAN
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2007
• Subjects: Alces alces; Ursus arctos
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.2193/2006-308; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.2193%2F2006-308

Abstract: In North America, brown bears ( Ursus arctos ) can be a significant predator on moose ( Alces alces ) calves. Our study in Sweden is the first in which brown bears are the only predator on moose calves. Bears and moose occurred at densities of about 30/1,000 km 2 and 920/1,000 km 2 , respectively, and bears killed about 26% of the calves. Ninety‐two percent of the predation took place when calves were <1 month old. Bear predation was probably additive to other natural mortality, which was about 10% in areas both with and without bears. Females that lost their calves in spring produced more calves the following year (1.54 calves/F) than females that kept their calves (1.11 calves/F), which reduced the net loss of calves due to predation to about 22%.