Trackers that can be attached directly to the fur of polar bears could give a better insight into how certain groups of the species behave, according to scientists.
The tags could be useful for researchers exploring the movements of adult males and sub-adult polar bears, which are not quite into adulthood.
These two groups cannot be studied using traditional satellite collars, which slip off the cone-shaped necks and heads of adult males.
Ear tags are used as an alternative, but these require the bears to be recaptured so they can be removed.
A number of different fur tag prototypes have been tested by a team led by York University in Toronto, Canada.
Lead author Tyler Ross said: “Successfully attaching telemetry tags to polar bear fur has never been done before, and we’re excited to share the results of this innovative work.
“The fur tags showed great promise, and give researchers the ability to study the behaviours and movements of polar bears that we have very little data on, like sub-adult and adult male bears.”
For the study, some 58 bears in Canada were tracked between 2016 and 2021.
Ear tags were used alongside three different fur tag designs to compare their accuracy and the length of time they remained active while attached to the bears.
The fur tags included a five-sided device known as The Pentagon Tag, the SeaTrkr Tag, an oval shaped device with 10 fur-tuft attachments, and the triangular Tribrush Tag, which attached to the fur using pipebrushes in tubes along its borders.
The best performing tag in the study was SeaTrkr, which stayed attached to the bears for an average of 58 days and was more accurate due to its use of GPS technology.
The traditional ear tags stayed in place for 137 days on average.
Gregory Thiemann, an associate professor at York University, said: “Our results are an important step in better understanding the movements and behaviour of polar bears, especially adult male bears, which are difficult to track because they can’t be fitted with satellite collars.
“Temporary, fur-mounted tags could also help track the movements of bears relocated after potentially coming into conflict with people, making these tags an important tool for conserving polar bears and keeping northern communities safe.”
Data from the study also confirmed adult male bears spend the majority of their time on land resting.
As well as giving better insight into bear behaviour, the fur tags could also be useful in tracking polar bears who have been relocated after coming into close contact with communities.
Further testing is being carried out on bears in captivity through Polar Bears International’s Arctic Ambassador Centre zoo and aquarium partners.
Geoff York, senior director of research and policy at Polar Bears International, added: “These advancements will have tangible implications for wildlife management, aiding in tracking polar bears and promoting improved human-bear coexistence.
“We’re eager to further refine and deploy this pivotal technology.”
The findings of the study have been published in the journal Animal Biotelemetry.