Scat sampling addresses some of the gaps in our camera monitoring. We utilize camera data from our Wildlife Camera Array to identify potential bear habitats. Then, a team of ecologists, interns, and volunteers visits these often remote areas to collect scat samples and document evidence of bear activity. Once we collect the samples, we send them to a UC Davis lab for genetic analysis. The genetic results allow us to assess the population's health by evaluating the overall levels of genetic diversity detected.

From the samples we collected in 2020, we identified nine individual black bears within the Preserve: three females and six males. We detected one known breeding pair with three offspring: two female cubs and one male. As we continue this work, we aim to gain a better understanding of how these populations breed and maintain genetic health. This data is essential for wildlife managers and researchers to understand and protect bear populations, especially in areas where humans and bears coexist.