BEARLY RECOGNIZABLE

January 11, 2021

Last year on this page, we featured the early results of collaborative work between bear researcher Dr. Melanie Clapham and the Nanwakolas First Nations Guardians, using facial recognition technology and new data gathering and analysis methods to track the movements of grizzly bears in the territories(https://vimeo.com/456255588).

Dr. Clapham’s work on bear facial recognition technology and its benefits has been recognized in several media stories over recent months, including on CBC News last November:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/grizzly-bear-facial-recognition-software-1.5797525.

In the CBC article, Nanwakolas President Dallas Smith observes: “The grizzly bear is an icon in our cultural heritage. It’s always been important to work in harmony with them. [Dr. Clapham’s work is] really helping us gain a foothold in taking over the management of grizzly bear interactions in our territories.”