North American black bear population said growing
Date: 01-May-02
Country: CANADA
The survey, conducted for the World Wildlife Fund and World Conservation Union, said the number of bears had increased since the late 1980s both in Canada, where the animals are found across the country, and in the United States, where they can be found in 41 states.
"American black bears are doing well throughout most of their current range," said Ernie Cooper of TRAFFIC, a group that tracks international trade in wildlife and carried out the survey using data from governmental wildlife agencies.
Black bear body parts such as gallbladders and paws are in heavy demand in Asia where they are used for medicine and food. But the study said while illegal hunting remains a problem in North America, it is not enough to threaten the species.
But even if poaching for animal parts was not an immediate threat, more steps should be taken to protect the animals, especially in the United States, the researchers said.
"Action is clearly needed and this positive news should not dictate complacency," Cooper said in a statement.
Canada's black bear population was estimated to be between 372,500 and 382,500 in 1988, and it has risen to between 396,000 and 476,000. In the United States it rose from between 253,000 and 375,000 to between 339,000 and 465,000 in the period.
The number of bears killed legally increased from an estimated 40,000 per year in 1992 to as much as 50,000 per year in the late 1990s, according to the study. The sale of bear body parts is illegal in most of North America, although sale of hides is less restricted.
The researchers said that despite the overall increase in the black bear population some subspecies of the animals, such as those found in Louisiana, remained threatened due to environmental pressures.