Sexual Segregation and Female Grizzly Bear Avoidance of Males

Abstract

We examined seasonal use of habitat for 14 male and 5 female grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in southwestern Alberta, 1981-84, to test 2 competing hypotheses regarding segregation of the sexes. The male avoidance hypothesis predicts increasing differences in use of habitat with increasing male use of female-occupied areas because of female avoidance of males. The no avoidance hypothesis predicts decreasing differences in use of habitat with increasing male use of female-occupied areas because of increasing similarity of available habitat. Differences in use of habitat were greatest during late summer, when many males concentrated in the female-occupied area, and they were less during other seasons when few males were in the female-occupied area