MOVEMENTS OF EUROPEAN BROWN BEARS IN CROATIA

Twenty six European brown bears Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758 were captured, radio-collared, and tracked in and around Plitvice Lakes and Risnjak National Parks from 01 November 1981 to 25 July 1991. The largest male and female ranges were 224 km2 and 147 km2, respectively. Mean annual ranges were 128 km2 and 58 km2 for males and females, respectively. Male ranges were 2 to 5 times larger than female ranges. The median straight-line distance between consecutive day locations was 1.5 km for all bears and the maximum distance was 8.5 km. Distances traveled daily by males and females were similar, but movements of females were restricted to smaller areas. Winter ranges were significantly smaller than ranges during other seasons. Marked bears spent 52% of their time outside the Plitvice Lakes and Risnjak National Parks.