Oklahoma Project
Spatial ecology and expansion of recolonizing black bear populations in eastern Oklahoma
July 2018 - December 2023
Personnel
Participating Agencies
- Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
Black bears (Ursus americanus) are recolonizing Oklahoma along the Ouachita Mountains in the southeastern part of the state and in the Ozark Plateau in the east-central part of the state. Moreover, bears are expanding from these recolonized core areas into other parts of the state. Working alongside biologists with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, this project is monitoring factors associated with black bear expansion into a more human-dominated landscape. Results from this research will aid management decisions especially as they relate to the potential for human-wildlife interactions.