Application of a remote video camera for wildlife study: Implication of Hibernation on Daily Salmon Consumption Rates of Grizzly Bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) Located in Brooks Falls, Alaska

Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) in Alaska are known to hibernateannually, with length and quality of hibernation being driven by food availability andenergy stores. Salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) are a major component of grizzly bears’diet and therefore, the amount of salmon consumed indicates grizzly bear health and fatstorage. The rate of salmon consumption by grizzly bears is known to be high from Juneto August, but there is less focus on consumption in the months leading up tohibernation (October and November). We tested the hypothesis that when grizzly bearsnear hibernation, an enhanced salmon consumption rate would be observed in anattempt to accumulate final fat stores. We compared the daily salmon consumptionrates in the present study to consumption rates from summer months in previousliterature. A remote live camera was utilized to observe grizzly bear feeding activity andobtain an approximation of the daily salmon consumption rate. In comparison to theaverage consumption rate in the summer from previous literature (30 salmon/day), asignificantly lower rate was obtained for the pre-hibernation period. Findings from thepresent study indicate that impending hibernation drastically reduced the Alaskan grizzlybear’s daily salmon consumption rate.