USE OF CARRION BY WILD FAUNA IN ASTURIAS (SPAIN) 2004-2005

REPORT INTRODUCTION     On May 22nd 2001, the European Union Official Bulletin published the Regulation number 999/2001 by which there were stated the regulations for the prevention, control and removal of certain contagious Spongiform Encephalopaties diseases.     Disease known as 'Bovine Spongiform Encephalopaties (Mad Cows) Disease' originated the European Union Directive that initiated the control mechanisms over livestock carcasses. Obviously, it was a must, seeing the situation that arose and its negative influence over human sanitation. In this way, the must to collect livestock carcasses started out, moving them to crematoriums, avoiding its disappearance by no controlled means in the natural environment. Immediately, Spanish preservationists raised the alarms, as they knew the important population of carrion-feeders birds in our country that have a basis on their nourishment among livestock carcasses.     Carrion-feeders birds with carrions relationship are as evident as secular. We know during centuries that vultures, Egyptian vultures, bearded vultures, ravens or kites, quoting only some of the most representative ones, depend on middens to survive, carrying out this important sanitary function of the carrions disappearance, avoiding diseases to be spread.     For all these reasons, experts and preservationists organisations urged on to demand the Union regulation to find solutions to avoid a negative impact over carrion-feeders populations, popping up regulations allowing creation of middens that will guarantee nourishment contributions needed for their survival. In spite of that, the effect the European Regulation seems to have ignored is its negative impact over some other species of the Iberian fauna. Perhaps due to the traditional and wrong interpretation we do of the behaviour of certain species we consider mostly as predators or as in the case of the brown bear, omnivorous.     During latest years, from FAPAS we have noticed certain changes in the nourishment habits of the two most representative species of the Cantabric Mountains, Brown Bear and Wolf. A tremendous increase in the bear damages over apiaries raised the alarm.     Why brown bears have passed from hardly one dozen of attacks to apiaries to more than one hundred and fifty last years? Why wolf packs have appeared in the medium altitude areas of the Asturian mountain ranges preying over livestock since these damages did not happen previously?     Questions that must find an answer.     FAPAS photographic activities during last years have documented the intense exploitation wolves and bears do using carrions and as well, other species that get their food resources without any effort. Wild boars, fox, badger, marten, genet…     Controlled follow-up of several carrions during 2004 and 2005 years, let us to make evident that lack of carrions from livestock might be a reason to a deep unbalance among wild life populations. Useless to say, data brought by the Sanitary Alert Regional Government Service of the Asturias Principality are sufficiently demonstratives to motivate our concern.     During 2004, more than 17,000 specimens of livestock carcasses were collected in Asturias. This amount of carcasses would have been left spread all along the Asturias territory. What amount of these carrions Wild fauna would have consumed? The answer is a larger part, as the traditional method of giving up a carcass is to abandon them in areas or places where traditionally they have been piled up along years or decades to, conscious or unconsciously, feed Wild fauna.     We think a debate must be opened about this issue as perhaps it is a large mistake to consider that damages due to wolves in livestock areas are due to an increase in the population and therefore, management of the wolf population is done by eliminating specimens, what means an increasing factor to its preservation. In the case of Brown Bear, how should we interpret the presence of bears in areas with a high human presence, reaching nearly the town of Oviedo to look for nourishment in meadows and cultivation country houses? What's the reason for the scarce reproductive success of the specie? FAPAS, July 2005

Dr. Francisco José Purroy Iriazoz Animal Biology Department Biologic and Environmental Sciences Faculty University of Leon (Spain) Alfonso Hartasánchez & Doriana Pando FAPAS, Fund for the Protection of Wild Life La Pereda, Llanes, Asturias (Spain) With the Financial Support of EURONATUR

USE OF CARRION BY WILD FAUNA IN ASTURIAS (SPAIN) 2004-2005 Follow-up and Control of the use of carrion by Brown Bear and Wolf in Somiedo, Belmonte de Miranda and Proaza Councils in Asturias     COUNTRY SAMPLE It is analysed the use of carrion choosing as reference a couple of species:         "    Brown Bear (Ursus Arctos)     "    Wolf (Canis Lupus Signatus)     PHOTOGRAPHIC FOLLOW-UP     By means of photographic follow-up, it was noticed the presence of the reference species as well as the use of carrion as a nourishment resource. WORKING PERIOD     Piece of work was done during year 2004, by following 9 carcasses and 2005, by following 8 carcasses. Total number of carcasses evaluated: 17   DISTRIBUTION For the placing of carrion in the Brown Bear and Wolf presence areas, it has been used a random placing method, similar as the one in a natural way could take place with the carcasses originated in the traditional farming and stockbreeding ways, as it has happened during latest centuries.     USES Use of carrion by the species chosen as reference was:     13 carcasses were used by brown bear     12 of them only eaten by brown bear     1 carcass eaten by brown bear and wolf at the same time     2 carcasses with the only presence of wolf     3 carcasses have not been eaten neither by brown bear nor wolf

USE OF CARRION From the follow-up piece of work, it was proven a complete use of carrion eaten by brown bear and wolf that corresponds to: TOTAL USE OF CARRION

LOCAL USE OF CARRION     Setting-up a comparison by councils COUNCIL OF SOMIEDO: 2 CARCASES     1 carcass eaten by brown bear     1 carcass eaten by wolf COUNCIL OF BELMONTE: 7 CARCASSES     6 carcasses by brown bear     1 carcass by wolf     1 carcass by others Note: in one carcass, it was noticed the use by both brown bear and wolf COUNCIL OF PROAZA: 8 CARCASSES         6 carcasses by brown bear     2 carcasses by wolf

FREQUENCY     We were able to prove the frequency of use of carrion by Brown Bear and Wolf in those areas controlled by the use of automatic shot photographic cameras with dating facilities.     We were able to do a follow-up of a total amount of 8 carcasses, with the following results:     Brown Bear     Time spent to find a carcass: 3, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11 and 30 days after placing them. From this, we can get that the average time brown bear spends to find a carcass since it appears in the environment is around 8,87 days.     Wolf     Time spent to find a carcass: 10 and 26 days after placing them. From this, we can get that the average time wolf spends to find a carcass since it appears in the environment is around 18 days. USE OF THE TERRITORY     follow-up done with carrion inside an area clearly defined of the bear territory in the Cantabric Western Brown Bear Core, with a population estimated around 25-35 specimens has been complemented with a couple of demographic control methods.     1.    Specimens identification from biometrics data: size of footprints.     2.    Specimens identification by means of use of photographic cameras.     These two methods, even if they are applied together, do not allow an accurate identification of every specimen detected, but it allows an individualisation of certain specimens with certain defined characteristics, mainly neck spots.     As a general rule, it is noticed that use of carrion by brown bear is done by going through the ways plantigrades usually do along certain areas that possibly have traditionally brought it, derived from farming and stockbreeding activities.     Brown Bear searches constantly carcasses on countryside territories. It causes a large mobility of these animals with a rapid location of the food resources.    TEMPORAL USE OF CARRION     From the piece of work, we learn that brown bear does not profit of carrion with the same intensity during every period along the year. On the contrary, when certain times of productivity of other nourishment resources arrive, carrion seems to be ignored.     Then, we should wonder which role carrion represents in the nourishing diet of Brown Bear during certain periods along the year.     Data extracted point out to the large importance livestock carcasses represent during latest winter months and early spring. This is learned from the use of the territory by Brown Bear as during these periods it is proven a constant displacement of the bears among human areas. Doubtless, following a behaviour rule that leads them to locate carcasses that are moved from cow-sheds when livestock is stabled.     Secular habit of leaving carcasses, throwing them in certain places in countryside environments has lead to a behaviour of the bears in the use of the territory kept by adults specimens, used to get food in these places.

CARRION FOLLOW-UP     During WINTER/SPRING.     From January to May: 10 CARCASSES     7 of them eaten by brown bear     2 of them eaten by wolf     2 carcasses were not used     Note: one carrion was used at the same time by bear and wolf     During January/February: 0 CARCASSES         During March: 5 CARCASSES     2 of them eaten by brown bear     1 of them eaten by wolf     2 carcasses were not used     During April: 4 CARCASSES     4 of them were eaten by brown bear     1 of them eaten by wolf     Note: one carrion was used at the same time by bear and wolf     During May: 1 CARCASS     It was eaten by brown bear Seguimiento de carroņas     Invierno/primavera     Meses de enero a mayo = 10 carroņas     7 aprovechadas por el oso     2 aprovechadas por lobo     2 carroņas no han sido aprovechadas     * Una carroņa ha sido aprovechada simultáneamente por oso y lobo     Enero/febrero = 0 carroņas     Marzo = 5 carroņas     2 carroņas aprovechadas por el oso     1 carroņa aprovechada por el lobo     2 carroņas no aprovechadas     Abril = 4 carroņas     4 carroņas aprovechadas por el oso     1 carroņa aprovechada por el lobo     * Una carroņa ha sido aprovechada simultáneamente por oso y lobo.     Mayo = 1 carroņa     1 carroņa aprovechada por el oso During SUMMER/AUTUMN/WINTER        From June to December: 8 CARCASSES     7 of them eaten by brown bear     1 carrion was not used     During June: 1 CARCASS     1 of them eaten by brown bear     During July: 2 CARCASSES     1 of them eaten by brown bear     1 carcass was not used     During August: 1 CARCASS     1 of them eaten by brown bear     During September: 2 CARCASSES     2 of them eaten by brown bear     During October: 1 CARCASS     1 of them eaten by brown bear INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS     Therefore, it is important the use of carrion coming from livestock in the nourishment diet of the Brown Bear. This importance seems to have a highest peak during the period from April to May with a 100% profit.     This period coincides with the maximum activity period after least activity season of Brown Bear in winter. Getting out of their lethargy, with a height and grease reserves decrease, forces the plantigrade to immediately look for new nourishment resources.        -  Carcasses of wild fauna     - Carcasses conserved from last autumn  None of both nourishment resources have an permanent existence during the year, given that availability of wild fauna carcasses in the brown areas is conditioned by the abundance of this sort of fauna, not coincident in some cases with areas with a permanent presence of bears. It is based on the severity of winters with strong snowfalls that led to death to ungulates that is neither constant during the year.     When it comes to the conservation of chestnut and acorn, they are as well dependant on climatic factors. Years with a large abundance and a lot of rain do not allow conservation of fruits in the ground beyond autumn. We would say that most abundant nourishment resource and that has been present in a permanent manner available for Bears has been that one derived from carrion left during winter/spring next to rural areas with livestock. IMPORTANCE OF CARRION FOR THE CUBS SURVIVAL         Photographic follow-up experiences allow us to check the physical status of cubs born from the same female in two different births. Second of the births has been favoured in the development of the two cubs born by the presence of carrion.     Pictorial evidences obtained have been very clear. While cubs emancipated in the first of the births have in May a completely under-nourished status, those coming from the second of the births have a very good status.     Taking into account that only the possibility we had to analyse the carcass of a two year old cub, the result of the necropsy was that death was due to extreme starvation (death to absolute under-nourishment), we must evaluate seriously in the survival of the emancipated cubs, the influence of carrion as a determinant factor for their survival.

Pictorial documentation	Two year-old cub, born during 2004 (upper picture) and mother (bottom) with a equine carrion (April 2005)

Cubs of the adult female bear born during 2002, captured in May 2003 as they were starting to be emancipated from mother.

Other species profiting from carrion, as this fox (Vulpes Vulpes) Adult wolf feeding from horse carrion. Other species profiting from carrion, as this marten (Martes foina)