Bear Census Underway in the South Kamchatka Sanctuary

Source: https://kronoki.ru/

The press service of the Kronotsky State Reserve reported that aerial surveys of brown bears inhabiting the South Kamchatka Federal Sanctuary are currently underway. This work allows to track the dynamics of changes in the number of animals, as well as to determine the age and sex structure of the population.

"For the aerial census of bears, a methodology is used that allows the results obtained in the places of field research to be applied to the entire territory of the South Kamchatka Federal Sanctuary," the message says.

The census is being conducted in four territorial zones of the sanctuary. These are the unproductive northern part, the most productive - the Kuril Lake basin, the eastern and western coasts. In these zones, 7 sites have been identified, each with an area of about 5-6 thousand hectares. On them, a continuous census is carried out - scientists from a helicopter count all the bears they meet. Then the data obtained, taking into account the density of animal distribution, are extrapolated to the entire territory of the sanctuary.

The results of the census are of great scientific value and help to understand the processes taking place on the specially protected natural territory and in Kamchatka as a whole.