The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Lynn Rogers have been at odds for years. Lynn Rogers’ bear research is followed around the world, but isn’t very popular with officials at the DNR. Their major complaint is that Rogers feeds the bears he studies by hand, creating bears that are less fearful of humans. As a result, the DNR has received reports of campers and hikers encountering more bears, which could be dangerous for bears and humans alike.
When the DNR renewed Rogers’ wildlife research permit in December, the number of GPS tracking collars allowed was reduced from 15 to 12. Instead of a year-long permit like the years before, this permit will expire in July. The DNR stated that it is not satisfied with the output of research papers produced from the GPS tracking data. “We don’t feel he needs that many bears with radio collars on,” explained DNR wildlife research manager Lou Cornicelli. “With the length of time the permit’s been out there, there should be some science coming out of this.”
Lynn Rogers claims that there is plenty of useful data coming from his research. He’s published three peer-reviewed studies in the last six years studying the Minnesota bear population. In addition to tracking wild bears with GPS technology, Rogers planted cameras in bear dens for the first time since bears have been studied. “We’ve gotten into things that nobody has done before, like the stuff with the den cams, that half of their life is the least studied area of bear biology,” Rogers said. “We’re getting it; it’s groundbreaking research.”
Unfortunately, the DNR of Minnesota argues that the research he’s speaking of is not based on recent data. If he can’t keep up with the DNR’s demands, Rogers’ research may be cut short. Rogers publishes his bear den videos online for the public to enjoy. His videos have a worldwide following.
DNR Limits Number Of GPS Trackers Used In Lynn Rogers' Bear Research
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