Canadian grizzly trapping criticized

Numbers of grizzly bears are being trapped and relocated by wildlife staff in Alberta, a move that threatens their recovery, Canadian conservation groups say. The Alberta government's report on grizzly bear recovery shows 24 bears were trapped and moved in 2011, 15 of those to locations outside their home territories, the Alberta Wilderness Association said in a release posted on its Web site Wednesday. While removal can increase human safety and protect property in the short term, studies have shown relocated bears generally die prematurely, conservationists said. "Trapping bears and moving them does not address the root of the problem and prevent human-bear conflicts over the long-term," Sarah Elmeligi of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society said. "Only a comprehensive government-funded program to help all landowners permanently reduce attractants will create lasting solutions that both protect bears and ensure human safety." When a bear is moved outside its home territory, it is a permanent loss to that population, as if it had died, conservationists said, and relocations combined with grizzly bear deaths have put several of Alberta's grizzly bear populations in decline. "These numbers tell us that there is a serious problem and it's not being addressed adequately," Nigel Douglas of the Alberta Wilderness Association said.