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Natal dispersal likely plays an important role in avoiding inbreeding among large carnivores. We tested the hypothesis that male-biased dispersal reduces close inbreeding by limiting the spatial overlap of opposite-sex pairs of close relatives in brown bears (Ursus arctos) in the Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido, Japan. We genotyped 837 individuals collected in 1998–2017 at 21 microsatellite loci and performed parentage analysis. To calculate natal dispersal distance, we considered the site where the mother was identified as the birthplace of her offspring, and the site where the offspring were identified as their dispersed place. As predicted, we found that dispersal distances were significantly greater for males (12.4 km ± 1.0) than for females (7.7 km ± 0.9), and those for males increased from 3 years old, indicating that males begin to disperse around the time sexual maturation begins. Relatedness decreased with distance among pairs of females, and the mean relatedness was significantly higher between pairs of females than between pairs of males or between female–male pairs within 3 km. Closely related female–male pairs rarely (5–6%) resided in close proximity (< 3 km), compared with pairs of closely related females. Our study revealed that the potential for close inbreeding was low in Hokkaido brown bears because males are effective dispersers.

Understanding the breeding ecology of a species is essential for the appropriate conservation and management of wildlife. In brown bears, females occasionally copulate with multiple males in one breeding season, which may lead to multiple paternity in a single litter. In contrast, inbreeding, a potential factor in the reduction of genetic diversity, may occur, particularly in threatened populations. However, few studies have reported the frequency of these phenomena in brown bear populations. Here, we investigated the incidence of multiple paternity and inbreeding in a high-density brown bear population on the Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido, Japan. A total of 837 individuals collected from 1998 to 2017 were genotyped at 21 microsatellite loci, and parentage analysis was performed. Out of 70-82 litters with ≥2 offspring, 14.6-17.1% of litters were sired by multiple males. This was comparable to the rate reported in a Scandinavian population, although population density and litter size, factors that potentially affect the incidence of multiple paternity, differed between the 2 populations. Out of 222 mother-father mating pairs, 6 litters (2.7%) resulted from matings between fathers and daughters. Additionally, 1 (0.5%) and 4 (1.8%) cases of mating between maternal half-siblings and between paternal half-siblings, respectively, were observed; however, no cases of mating between mothers and sons or between full siblings were observed. Our results suggest that male-biased natal dispersal effectively limits mating between closely related individuals (aside from fathers and daughters) in brown bears.

Bears from the family Ursidae are the only terrestrial mammals that go through gestation, parturition, and lactation during hibernation. This is the 1st study to examine the influence of reproductive status (i.e., nonpregnant, pseudopregnant, or pregnant) on body temperature and blood biochemical profiles in hibernating black bears. Pregnant bears appeared to have higher and more stable body temperatures (37–38°C) than nonpregnant ones (34–36°C) during pregnancy, which was followed by a rapid drop to levels comparable to those of nonpregnant individuals after parturition. In midpregnancy (i.e., January), pregnant bears had higher blood glucose and lower triglyceride concentrations than did nonpregnant ones, whereas blood concentrations of free fatty acids, glycerol, and ketone bodies did not differ significantly. Plasma urea, creatinine, and urea/creatinine levels were significantly lower in pregnant bears than in nonpregnant ones. Pseudopregnant bears showed similar changes in body temperature a...

We investigated reproductive characteristics of brown bears (Ursus arctos yesoensis) in the Oshima Peninsula, Hokkaido, Japan, based on the study of individuals harvested from 1983 to 1987. Analyses were based on age-class and reproductive status data determined for 196 females killed during the study period. The minimum age at 1st parturition was 4 years, but frequency of reproductive success among females ,6 years old was notably lower than that among females $6 years of age. Females ,6 years old were more apt to produce single offspring and lose them during the 1st year. There appeared to be few changes in frequency of reproducing cubs among females 6‐20 years of age. Females typically separated from young when young were 15‐27 months old. For mature adult females, mean litter size was 1.8, and interval between births was 2.3‐3.0 years. Embryo loss and neonatal mortality were uncommon.

We examined changes in the concentrations of serum progesterone (P4), estradiol-17β (E2), FSH, LH, prolactin (PRL), and inhibin to determine their interaction and their effect on the reproductive endocrine controls of pregnant and nonpregnant female Japanese black bears. Fourteen female bears were used in this study over a 2-yr period. In the first year, six of the bears were divided into two groups; a pseudopregnant group and a nonpregnant group. In the second year, the remaining eight bears were also divided into two groups; a pregnant group and a nonpregnant group. Pregnant and pseudopregnant bears had similar P4 trends with both groups exhibiting a significant increase in December, which is the suspected time of implantation in pregnant bears. These trends correlated with an increase in PRL levels, whereas low levels of LH were maintained throughout the year. Nonpregnant bears maintained low concentrations of P4, and compared with pregnant and pseudopregnant bears, they also exhibited a delay...