Bear mortality related to human conflicts is perhaps the largest single factor affecting long-term population viability. As human populations continue to extend into bear habitat throughout North America, either through residential development, recreational use or industrial use, bear human conflicts increase.
The Karelian Bear Shepherding Institute of Canada (KBSIC) is a charitable organization, created in 2004 through the generous funding and assistance of the Nature Conservancy of Canada, the Alberta Conservation Association and other program suporters, to address issues of bear human conflict in Canada. It is modeled after the Wind River Bear Institute, a US based organization that, for nine years, has developed bear management techniques and awareness programs to reduce bear human conflict.
KBSIC provides educational programming aimed at teaching the various stakeholders who live, work and recreate in bear country how to better coexist with bears. KBSIC also offers a number of Bear Safety Training courses to the general public and industry. By providing these programs we feel we can help to reduce human-caused bear mortality and instill a sense of ownership at the local level in the management of our wild lands in Canada.
In addition to delivering educational programs, KBSIC supports research projects that focus on enhancing our knowledge of techniques and initiatives that reduce incidents of bear human conflict. KBSIC also provides products that serve to help minimize the chance of bear human interactions and promote the work of KBSIC.
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