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What happens when a Missouri bear gets hit by a vehicle? Science.
A black bear crosses U.S. 60 Highway west of Peck Ranch in Shannon County. Courtesy of Eric Tiefenauer
A black bear was found dead Sunday morning on eastbound Interstate 44 near Strafford.
The animal appeared to have died as a result of a vehicle crash, the News-Leader previously reported.
After a crash that results in the death of a bear — a rare event in Missouri — the Missouri Department of Conservation does what it can to further human knowledge, a spokesman said.
There's a lot we still have to learn about bears' annual life cycle, said the spokesman, Francis Skalicky.
And having access to the body of an adult bear provides a rare scientific opportunity.
The conservation department tracks living bears with radio collars, and sometimes agents might be able to quickly collect data (say, for 30 minutes) when an animal is under the influence of a tranquilizer.
But "a bear carcass can provide a lot of information on the habits of bears," Skalicky said.
After a bear-vehicle crash, the animal carcass is typically transported from the scene to a conservation department facility located in Columbia.
That's where the science happens.
Skalicky said that a conservation agent trained in wildlife damage biology, Josh Wisdom, already examined the bear carcass found Sunday in Strafford for bullet wounds or other signs of illegal hunting.
Wisdom found no such signs. He transported the carcass from Strafford to Columbia.
There, Skalicky said the department plans to perform several routine examinations.
First, there's a DNA test, which helps determine bear populations and their movements and the overall health of the bear.
A necropsy is performed to learn how old the bear was when it died.
The animal's teeth are also collected to help determine its age.
Usually, the department also takes a sample of whatever was in the bear's stomach when it died.
If a bear was found to have been eating mainly insects, small animals and vegetative material, it was probably living mostly in the wild.
A bear with birdseed or cattle feed in its stomach was probably living closer to human environments, Skalicky said.
The conservation department also harvests the bear's fur and skull, Skalicky said. The department has "educational trunks" — large bin containers — containing a variety of wildlife furs or skull bones. Schools or other educational outfits can check them out for use in curricula.
"It's a final act of giving by the animal, if you will," Skalicky said.
Only a few "bear-vehicle accidents" happen each year, he said.
They seem to happen during the summer months, concentrated in the southern part of Missouri where most of the state's bears live.
That's just one ecological factor at play, said the spokesman, Francis Skalicky.
Young adult male bears go on the move as they search for their own territory. They're no longer dependent on their mothers for food, so they spread out.
Meanwhile, Missouri humans take to Show-Me State highways in greater numbers during summer-vacation season.
Crashes may be inevitable, but they are few, Skalicky said.
That's partly because Missouri has far fewer bears than, for example, deer. The black bear population was estimated to be around 300 to 350 bears in 2012.
If the population continues to grow above 500 as expected by 2021, the state may add a limited black-bear hunting season.
Okay, city slicker. Here's what to do if you hit a bear with your vehicle.
Information provided by Francis Skalicky, Missouri Department of Conservation.
- Do not veer into oncoming car traffic to avoid a bear or other animal.
- Call your local conservation agent or law enforcement, who can alert the Missouri Department of Conservation. Contacting 911 works, too.
- Operation Game Thief is available with a live operator 24 hours per day at 800-392-1111. The hotline takes reports of illegal hunting activity but can also take reports of vehicle crashes that involve wildlife.