| Summary: | Kopatz, A., Davey, M., Fossøy, F., Forfang, K., Eriksen, L.B., Flagstad, Ø. & Kleven, O. 2023. Monitoring sheep and reindeer consumption by brown bears using molecular methods. NINA Report 2276. Norwegian Institute for Nature Research. Large carnivores, such as brown bears (Ursus arctos), are often involved in conflict cases in areas where humans keep their livestock. Livestock depredation conflicts in Norway caused by brown bears are largely related to domestic sheep (Ovis aries) and semi-domestic reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). Data on which individual brown bears have consumed sheep or reindeer in a given area during a specific time period is useful for supporting predator management and creating a better-informed basis for decision making. For example, depredation events are unlikely to be directly witnessed, and information on brown bear diet and possible consumption of live-stock could prove crucial to identifying which individual brown bears may be involved. Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) is a DNA-based method with proven applications for detecting and quanti-fying diet items in faeces from a variety of animals and has the capacity to provide this type of information to the predator management. In this pilot study, we successfully developed and tested two ddPCR-based assays, one for sheep and one for reindeer, that allow us to detect and quantify their consumption by brown bears by analysing DNA from collected faecal samples. To test the potential for integrating such an approach with existing population monitoring, we assessed the sheep and reindeer consumption from brown bear faeces collected in Trøndelag county in 2022 as part of the Norwegian Large Predator Monitoring Program. In this program biological samples, like faeces, are regularly collected across Norway and often in the context of depredation events and are subsequently genotyped to link the samples to individual brown bears. We assessed sheep and reindeer consumption by screening 124 faecal samples col-lected by the program in 2022 using the ...
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