Colin Rossiter

The proposed research project will examine the behaviour of brown bears (Ursus arctos) at an established ecotourism viewing site to determine whether changes have occurred under a constant management regime in the Glendale Cove region of Knight Inlet, British Columbia, Canada. The project seeks to establish whether previously identified direct positive impacts for the animals viewed persist on generational time scales. As the first of its kind, this study seeks to compare the behaviour of one generation of brown bears to another in one location, it will give a unique account of the long-term impacts of ecotourism and bear viewing.

The proposed research seeks to develop the preservation of brown bears and their habitats through better understanding and management of bear-viewing ecotourism and the exploitation of resources in the ecosystems of the Great Bear Rainforest. Through successful completion of this project, it may be possible to adopt similar long-term studies to advance the conservation of other species and their habitats using similar methodology.

1. Knight Inlet Lodge
2. Brown Bear Research Network