Predation cause large losses by killing animals, but little are known about the secondary effects on reindeer activity and habitat selection. Thus, different types of activities both natural and anthropogenic, may disturb reindeer grazing, and adversely affect animal condition and production. In this PhD project reindeer habtiat use and movement are studied in relation to both natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Effects on fitness, growth, calving performance and survival are investigated. We use data on reindeer and brown bear movements in the landscape (collected via GPS), and also data from brown bear kill sites of reindeer calves. The data collection have been performed in close cooperation with the reindeer herding districts and the project Brown bear predation on reindeer calves run by Wildlife Damage Center, SLU and the Scandinavian Brown Bear project.
Therese Sivertsen
B. Åhman, A. Skarin, L. Rönnegård and O-G Stoen
Risk of brown bear predation on semi-domesticated reindeer calves