Bears not hibernating worry scientists

“If things continue this way, we will see many reports about human-bear conflicts in the coming years”

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Prof. Dr. Lokman Aslan, Director of the Van Yüzüncü Yıl University (YYÜ) Wildlife Protection and Rehabilitation Center, stated that bears, whose feeding habits have changed due to global warming and human intervention, are not hibernating, adding, “If things continue this way, we will see many reports about human-bear conflicts in the coming years.”

The Lake Van Basin is home to numerous wild animals with its pristine geography. Many brown bear species live in the rural areas of the Van, Bitlis, and Hakkari provinces within the basin. The fact that bears, which should hibernate as the weather cools, have not been hibernating or have been delaying hibernation in recent years has begun to worry scientists. Prof. Dr. Aslan, who is conducting research on the subject, reported that bears that can access food 12 months of the year due to global warming will not hibernate.

Pointing out that if this situation continues, bears that cannot find food after a while will descend into human habitats and pose a danger to people, Prof. Dr. Aslan emphasized that bears should not be fed and their feeding habits should not be interfered with.

“BEARS LIVE AS RESIDENTS IN THE LAKE VAN BASIN”

Speaking on the subject, Prof. Dr. Aslan stated that they are working to ensure the ecological balance in the Lake Van Basin is passed on to the future without being disrupted. Expressing that many animals reside in the Lake Van Basin due to its unspoiled structure, Prof. Dr. Aslan said:

“While the basin is home to some animals, it also serves as a station for others. Bears are a species that live as residents in the Lake Van Basin. Brown bear species generally live in the basin. There are bear families living in the Özalp, Çaldıran, Başkale, and Gevaş districts of Van, as well as in the provinces of Hakkari and Bitlis. Although bears are warm-blooded animals, they are animals that can hibernate. In addition to bears, mice, hedgehogs, and snake species also hibernate. However, the most well-known animals in this regard are bears,” he said.

“A BEAR THAT REACHES FOOD 12 MONTHS OF THE YEAR DOES NOT HIBERNATE”

Stating that bears feed and gain fat during the warm months and hibernate by going to their dens for a period of 4 to 7 months in the winter to slow down their metabolism, Aslan said, “However, in recent years, they have begun to delay hibernation due to global warming and feeding habits. The reason for this is the disruption of the ecological balance. If you feed a bear completely, it does not need to hibernate. A bear that concludes it can reach food 12 months of the year does not hibernate. Because we leave our trash in nature, winters are a bit warmer due to global warming, and bears can access food, they have reduced their hibernation to 2-3 months,” he said.

“THEY WILL FACE HUMANS TO SEARCH FOR FOOD”

Stating that if people continue to interfere with wildlife and continue to feed the bears, the bears that cannot find food after a while will face humans to search for food, Aslan continued his words as follows:

“These are the times when conflict will begin. One should not engage in behaviors that will disrupt the ecological balance of wild animals. If food is to be given, it should be done by conducting an inventory study. Wild animals are animals that have not come into contact with humans. Once they come into contact with humans, the domestication process has begun. Therefore, the wild animal also prepares itself for this environment. Consequently, it poses a danger to humans in the living spaces it descends into to search for food. Because people leave their waste in places where animals live, bears that find food have started to come into contact with humans. If this continues, we will see many reports about human-bear conflicts in the coming years. To prevent this, bears should not be fed and their feeding habits should not be interfered with.”

News Source: İHA