First Asiatic Black Bear Survey In China
Survey teams from Chinese and American universities are conducting the first ever sample of Asiatic black bears in the Sichuan province of central China. Using interviews with locals and signs of bear activity like claw marks, the researchers hope to learn how poaching affects black bear populations.
Based on interviews with local people in the Sichuan Province and sign surveys (mainly claw marks on trees), the initial findings from these surveys indicate that:
- 33% of people thought there was black bear poaching in their area.
- 62% believed that the bear population was decreasing.
- 46% believed that poaching accounted for the decrease.
The study was to be completed at the end of 2007 and provide an accurate range map for black bears in this part of China.
