The most recent inventory was completed in 1992; at that time the population was estimated to be 160 polar bears. Current population size and status is unknown.
Status table outtake
|
Aerial survey / Mark-recapture analysis |
Additional / Alternative Analysis |
|||||||||||
| Number (year of estimate) |
±2 SE or 95% CI |
Number (year of estimate) |
±2 SE or min-max range |
Sim | TEK | Historical annual removals (5 yr mean) | Potential maximum annual removals | Status | Current trend | Estimated risk of future decline | ||
| 161 (1992) | 121-201 | 215 (1996) | 99-331 | X | 5 | 7 | Data deficient | Data deficient | Data deficient | |||
Table comment: Vital rates from mark-recapture research conducted at maximum depletion indicate relatively high productivity at low density. The estimate for population size for management is the result of a simulation from 1992 estimate. Data are 17 years old. Discussions have been initiated for a population inventory.
A five-year study of movements and subpopulation size, using telemetry and mark-recapture, was completed for polar bears inhabiting Viscount Melville (VM) in 1992 (Messier et al. 1992, 1994, Taylor et al. 2002). Population boundaries were based on observed movements of female polar bears with satellite radio-collars and movements of bears tagged in and out of the study area (Bethke et al. 1996, Taylor et al. 2001a). The current subpopulation estimate of 215 ± 58 (1996) was based on simulations from parameters measured in 1993 (Taylor et al. 2002).