tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47643330551303783882024-03-13T22:38:07.815-05:00Where the Bear WalksChrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11237393264153559661noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764333055130378388.post-57958656313287344832017-03-30T13:47:00.000-05:002017-03-30T13:47:21.477-05:00New documentary "The Grizzly Truth"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Tom Reissmann's new film "The Grizzly Truth" is now available on Vimeo on-demand. It tackles many of the myths about bears and particularly about trophy hunting. Notables experts in the field Charlie Russell and Kevin Van Tighem weigh in with their own experiences working with bears. Be warned there is some graphic content related to hunting, but even so I highly recommend this documentary to anyone interested in the subject. You can find the film at the following link:</div>
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You will need to create a Vimeo account and then choose to either rent or purchase the film. </div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11237393264153559661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764333055130378388.post-47229374921293261772016-11-18T13:56:00.000-06:002016-11-18T13:57:10.460-06:00Book Review: "Ice Bear" by Michael Engelhard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Of all the bears of the world, polar bears are probably the most fascinating. Unlike grizzlies and black bears, the isolation of the white bear to the polar region means we mostly have to live vicariously through the work of Arctic scientists willing to venture forth into the bear's icy world in order to learn much about them. This gives the polar bear an almost otherworldly sense of mystery.<br />
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Few truly great books have been written about polar bears, certainly not as many as have been written about grizzly bears. Richard Ellis's "On Thin Ice", Nikita Ovsyanikov's "Polar Bears: Living With the White Bear", and Ian Stirling's "Polar Bears: The Natural History of a Threatened Species" come immediately to mind. Now Michael Engelhard's "Ice Bear" joins the ranks as one of the best works devoted to these elusive animals.</div>
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Unlike most authors, Engelhard focuses not on the bear's biology but on its cultural history; from myths and legends to religious beliefs and even sexuality; from hunting tales to Arctic expeditions; from cuddly "celebrities" like Knut to the perils and pitfalls of training polar bears for the circus, while presenting wonderful photographs, paintings, and Native arts and crafts along the way. In the end a clear picture is presented of the polar bear as one of the most powerful and resilient animals in the world, not as the anthropomorphized cuddly teddy of human imagination or as the relentless man-eater of Arctic lore and legend.</div>
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This was easily one of the best books I've read on the subject of polar bears with information that kept me turning pages. Highly recommended for any bear lover's collection!</div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11237393264153559661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764333055130378388.post-28185774863675977692016-11-10T12:09:00.000-06:002016-11-10T12:09:48.553-06:00What a Trump Presidency Could Mean For Grizzlies<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's impossible to study bears and advocate for or against them without getting sucked into politics. For decades, the subjects of bear management and protection have been fought - sometimes valiantly, sometimes violently - in wildlife agencies, in lecture halls, classrooms, and the field; from Montana all the way to Washington, D.C. and that will probably never change. The issue has always been highly politicized and always will be. The line has been consistently drawn between those who want to protect and preserve the great bears and those who see no need for them and consider them a useless liability.</div>
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As hard as I try to stay out of politics and remain unbiased, a bias is ultimately inevitable, and right now a political battle is being waged to determine the future of the Yellowstone grizzly bear and whether or not they will retain protections under the Endangered Species Act. Public comments on this matter have been closed and there are expectations that a final decision will be made sometime this month. </div>
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So what does it say for the outcome of this decision and the final fate of these bears that Donald Trump has been elected the 45th President of the United States and the Republican Party (consistently the most anti-environmental and with the most representatives fighting on the side of the anti-bear campaign), is firmly in control?</div>
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Well, let's take a look at some of Trump's environmental policies:</div>
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1.) He does not believe in man-made climate change. To be fair, I myself am somewhat on the fence about whether climate change is man made or a natural cycle. Either way, I've spent enough time in the far north to visibly see the effects with each passing year and I know full well the devastating impact it's had on the Yellowstone grizzly population and the polar bears on the Arctic tundra. Regardless of the cause, something is happening and there are ways these animals could be preserved and protected from it. But first we would have to stop squabbling about it and acknowledge that something is happening and that's not the nature of politics.</div>
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2.) Myron Ebell, one of the country's best-known climate change skeptics, has been chosen by Trump to lead his transition team for the Environmental Protection Agency, an agency that Trump has even considered disbanding altogether. </div>
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3.) Open protected lands (i.e.: National Parks and forests) to privatization, meaning control by the states with no federal protections. The Republican Party argues that this 200 million acres of currently-protected land should be "used to the best economic potential for the nation". This means logging, gas and oil exploration, and development. Sure those trees, lakes, and mountains are pretty but wouldn't you rather have a shopping mall and a McDonald's?</div>
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4.) The GOP is arguing that the Endangered Species Act should be significantly curtailed so that species cannot be listed as endangered in one location if they exist in healthy numbers in another location. The platform states the act has "stunted economic development, halted the construction of projects and burdened landowners." Why should Yellowstone grizzlies be protected when there are plenty of grizzlies in Canada, Alaska, and Siberia? Good enough, right?</div>
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5.) Among Trump's potential candidates for the Department of the Interior are Wyoming Governor Matt Mead, who pushed to delist the gray wolf and has been pushing the campaign to delist the grizzlies and open them up to trophy hunting, and - according to some sources - possibly Sarah Palin, a trophy hunter who has waged all-out war on Alaska's predators.</div>
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As grim as these prospects are, we have to acknowledge the future is uncertain and things could go in either direction, but for now a very, very dark cloud is looming on the horizon in the battle to save the Yellowstone grizzlies.</div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11237393264153559661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764333055130378388.post-41029174988546125992016-08-12T21:14:00.000-05:002016-08-12T21:14:10.006-05:00My thoughts as a solo hiker...<div style="text-align: justify;">
A few weeks ago, a bicyclist was killed by a bear of undetermined species in my old stomping grounds of West Glacier, Montana. The man was not only a Forest Service Ranger but also the cousin of a friend of mine. It was determined to be a surprise encounter and the decision was made to spare the bear's life. The incident forced me to face some hard questions and forced me to answer them.</div>
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As a primarily solo hiker, I'm well aware of the risks of venturing alone into grizzly country, especially the risk of encountering a mother with cubs or surprising a bear at close range. Not only do I solo hike, but I tend to hike silently. For me, wild country - and especially grizzly country - is healing and therapeutic and I frequently crave the solitude it brings, so I feel that making a lot of unnatural noise disrupts that solitude. Obviously, this puts me at greater risk of startling a bear and possibly getting attacked and I have in fact startled a grizzly at close range in Glacier National Park on two separate occasions. One on the Siyeh Pass trail three years ago and one just two weeks ago at 6:30 AM on the Iceberg Lake trail. The bear in the first encounter did an abrupt about face and bolted back down the trail. The other ran down the hillside huffing and crashing through the brush. Both incidents happened too fast to react to. So what if I were to run into the wrong bear at the wrong time? What if I were to be the unlucky one and it were to happen to me? </div>
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Although I accept the risk of hiking alone in grizzly country more than I accept the risk of driving an automobile down the Interstate (arguably much more dangerous), I still ask myself the "What if?" question, and the tragic death of Brad Treat helped me find some answers.</div>
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Two weeks ago on the Iceberg Lake trail I encountered dozens of hikers decked out in bear bells, clapping and yelling around every corner, and I became so annoyed by their presence that I had to bite my tongue each time I passed these noisy intruders. That said, I completely understand their mindset. I was once so terrified of bears that I wanted to make all the noise I could on a trail but was so paralyzed with fear I could barely make a sound. Now that fear has been replaced by fascination mingled with a healthy respect, so I snap sticks, kick rocks, and loudly clear my throat to announce my presence around blind corners or in thick brush, sounding like a larger animal moving through, and wonder why people who feel the need to wear tourist scams like bear bells and shout at everything are even venturing into places like these. If their goal is to never see wildlife, they're on the right track; I, however, go out with the hope of encountering something. </div>
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So if I were to be killed by a bear - be it surprise, defense of cubs, or even predatory - I would want no action taken against that bear. While I definitely don't go hiking with the expectation of never returning, I would rather die in the woods and mountains than in a chunk of metal on the highway or in the kitchen of the restaurant I'm working in.</div>
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When I was younger, I had a nightmare that something happened to me and everyone thought I was dead but it turns out I wasn't and I awoke buried alive in a coffin. Recalling that I can say with certainty that when it comes my time to go, I don't want to be buried in the ground in a coffin. I want to be driven far up into the deepest, thickest grizzly country imagineable and thrown out for the bears to eat. I can think of no greater use for what's left of me than to fuel something else's survival.</div>
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How can I get this legally put into writing?</div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11237393264153559661noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764333055130378388.post-51634898896643069392016-03-31T18:48:00.002-05:002016-03-31T18:48:40.706-05:00Bear Behavior Observations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After six years, I'm back at Fortress of the Bear in Sitka, Alaska and will be here at least through the summer. Coming back has taken some adjustment, considering the amount of time I've spent with wild bears in Montana over the past few years. For awhile, seeing them in captivity again didn't have the same impact as encountering one on a trail, but being able to closely observe and interact with them has won me over and this time around I feel more suited to be their keeper than I did years ago just because of the vast knowledge of bears I've compiled since then and how much more at ease I feel around them as a result. That's a good thing because this time I've really got my work cut out for me: eight bears are currently housed at the facility, five brown bears and three black bears.</div>
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The five brown bears I'm very familiar with. My old buddies Chaik and Killisnoo (Killisnoo pictured above) are still here, along with Baloo, Lucky, and Toby, the three cubs who were breaking into the facility on a nightly basis with their mother. The trio is much bigger now, with Baloo beating out Chaik as the largest, and now most dominant, bear.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Baloo regarding his reflection.</span></div>
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The three black bears are Bandit, Smokey, and Tuliaan, a native Tlingit word that means "gentle". Smokey and Tuliaan were siblings orphaned in Seward and Bandit was a lone cub living in a tree in Juneau. All three are as passive and gentle with the keepers as their brown bear cousins and are impossible not to fall in love with from the first moment of interaction.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Bandit (lower), Smokey (left), and Tuliaan,</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I was skeptical if any of the bears would remember who I was after so many years, but Fortress director Les Kinnear was adamant that they would and it seems he was right. My first meeting with Chaik and Killisnoo, I held my hand up for them to smell and they almost instantly reacted with recognition, licking me and taking treats from my fingers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Feeding carrots to Chaik and Killisnoo.</span><br />
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Toby, Baloo, and Lucky took a bit longer to get used to my presence since one of our interns primarily worked with them last time, but they've adjusted to me extremely well, as have the black bears. I feel like I know them and I get the sense they feel as comfortable with me.</div>
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Daily observations are interesting. While the black bears mostly frolic and play, the social dynamics of the brown bears, while mostly cordial, are always changing. Two or three years ago, Les constructed a breezeway connecting both habitats so the brown bears could mingle and interact with one another. While Chaik and Killisnoo are both extremely passive, Toby, Baloo, and Lucky spent more time in the wild and can be a little more pushy. Baloo has already established himself as the bear in charge while Toby has begun courting Chaik. Lucky mostly stays on the sidelines and poor Killisnoo gets the brunt of everyone's bad side. </div>
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When Chaik and Killisnoo were rescued as cubs in 2007, Killisnoo was in bad health and didn't fully develop so he's considered something of an outcast by the wilder bears, particularly Toby, who would find him unworthy as a suitor in the wild and is instinctively compelled to push him away, so she usually dumps all her aggression on Killisnoo and keeps him trapped inside his den. During the more intense scuffles, Chaik usually comes to Killisnoo's aid, often landing him in the doghouse with Toby. It's wonderful to see Chaik so protective because when he and Killisnoo were the only residents six years ago, Chaik was often pushy and rough with Killisnoo, as older brothers often are with younger brothers, so seeing Chaik's devotion to him now when he's outnumbered is heartwarming.</div>
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Of course, Baloo and Lucky feel equally protective of their sister so they sometimes take her lead and gang up on Killisnoo or try to block Chaik from rushing to his brother's defense, leading to some pretty hair-raising bellowing matches. Fortunately, Killisnoo has started standing up to Toby and has backed her down a few times. While none of these confrontations have been really serious, Killisnoo did suffer a bite to the back of his knee and a bruised tendon so we've separated the two sets of bears for now to give Killisnoo time to recuperate stress-free (The photo at the top was taken while sitting and talking to Killisnoo during his recuperation in the den). Now Toby sulks and picks on her brothers because she can't snuggle up with Chaik. </div>
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And the soap opera continues...</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Lucky balancing on a pipe while Killisnoo watches and Baloo sleeps.</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">
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Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11237393264153559661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764333055130378388.post-45985079533115516632015-09-26T10:54:00.004-05:002015-09-26T10:54:52.227-05:00I Saw a Bear TodayA moving and powerful piece that I found and had to share:<br />
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<a href="https://thruwildeyes.wordpress.com/2015/09/01/i-saw-a-bear-today/" target="_blank">https://thruwildeyes.wordpress.com/2015/09/01/i-saw-a-bear-today/</a>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11237393264153559661noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764333055130378388.post-7174317555940127892015-09-24T17:18:00.003-05:002015-09-24T17:18:45.703-05:00My Article Disappeared<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's been brought to my attention that my article about the delisting of Yellowstone grizzly bears - published online by the Earth Times in November 2013 - has disappeared along with the entire Earth Times website, so here it is in it's complete, unedited form. Please note the links to the IGBST website at the end no longer show the data indicated in the article due to political forces removing it to support the delisting agenda</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The article:</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
THE FALL OF
THE WILD: Are We Losing Our Grizzly Bears?</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The grizzly bear is one of the last symbols of
wilderness remaining in North America. Already in danger from a failing
habitat, the grizzly now faces its potential demise at the hands of political
ladder-climbing. Will we act in time to preserve the species or allow this
majestic and misunderstood creature to fade into the annals of history?</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
By Chris Nunnally</div>
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Each spring, I look forward to
the arrival of summer with great anticipation. This is that time of year when I
leave my cluttered city life behind and begin migrating to the Northern Rockies
of Glacier National Park. I go in search of solitude, tranquility…and bears.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Grizzly bears are indispensable
to me and one of the most powerful symbols of wilderness we have left.
Statistically, they pose a ridiculously small threat (with falls, drownings, and
exposure topping the “cause of death” lists in the national parks), but you
still have to be alert and aware when recreating in their backyard. For me, the
heightened sense of awareness that comes over me in grizzly country is the
strongest feeling of life I have ever experienced. In my mind, that humility
and awareness is the true value of wild country and is a large part of what I
go out there in search of.</div>
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<br /></div>
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But how long will it last? The
Glacier and Yellowstone ecosystems contain the only surviving grizzly bears in
North America outside of Canada and Alaska and at least one of those
populations is facing an uncertain future.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Due to increasingly warmer winter
temperatures in Yellowstone, an infestation of the mountain pine beetle has
spread to higher elevations where it has never before been able to survive and
devastated the whitebark pines and the annual crop of nuts they produce, which
are a vital source of late-season protein for grizzly bears. In 2010, the year
of the infamous Soda Butte attack near Cooke City, Montana, overall whitebark
pine health was dramatically low, an anomaly that cannot be ruled out as a
causal factor in the attack.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The details of the Soda Butte
incident are not entirely clear, the reasons why it occurred having been
glossed over and left unexplained, the usual standard when it comes to bear
attacks. While there do seem to have been some predatory aspects to the attack
(one of those killed was fed upon, though it’s unknown if that was the bear’s
intention going in or if it was an opportunistic feeding once it found itself
with a dead body), Deborah Freele, who survived the attack, said that the bear
did not let her go and move away until she stopped screaming and resisting and
played dead. Had the attack been predatory in nature, playing dead would have
only encouraged the bear to start feeding; the fact that it let go of Deborah
and went away indicates the attack may have been defensive, as if something had
given the bear concern for the safety of her cubs.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Killed two days after the attack,
the mother bear was necropsied and isotopes from her blood, serum, and hair
revealed that for the previous two years, she and her cubs had lived on a near
exclusive plant-based diet with no indications of human food or garbage
present. Isotopes of sulfur, which would indicate consumption of whitebark pine
nuts – what the family should have been eating that time of year – were not
present, nor were any indications of having eaten meat. Even though it was late
July, the bears still wore their winter coats and they weighed in at the low
end of the normal range for average bears. They were extremely malnourished.</div>
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<br /></div>
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It is well documented in many
studies that the nutritional value of a good pine nut crop not only greatly
increases a bear’s odds of surviving winter hibernation but also results in
better cub reproduction. When a female bear successfully mates, the pregnancy
does not automatically take. If the female enters her den with enough stored
fat and protein to support herself and young, the pregnancy will develop into a
cub; if she has not built up sufficient reserves, the pregnancy will terminate
itself. With the continuing loss of the whitebark, mortality rates will
inevitably increase. Natural vegetation alone will not suffice to keep bears
healthy.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Making matters worse, other
important food sources for bears are also on their way out: berries do not grow
in Yellowstone with the abundance that they do in Glacier. Cutthroat trout are
threatened by lake trout, which have been illegally introduced into Yellowstone
Lake. The migration patterns of army cutworm moths are being influenced by
pesticide spraying in the Midwest and Alberta. The wolf reintroduction program
has resulted in an over-population that has robbed the bears of a large number
of winter-killed carcasses, an often critical food source for bears just
emerging from their dens in spring.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The International Grizzly Bear
Study Team (IGBST) maintains a list of bear mortality records in Yellowstone
and whitebark pine cone reduction data from 2009 through 2013. The correlation
between the two is undeniable. Field operations in 2009 show 80-88% of
whitebarks dead or dying. That year, nine abnormal bear incidents resulting in
bear mortality were recorded (in filtering through the records, I tried to
eliminate any incidents that may have involved defense of cubs or carcasses and
focus only on those that were unusual or in which bears raided campsites or
residential areas in search of food), with one labeled as “cause unknown, under
investigation”.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The change recorded in 2010 is
very dramatic. Whitebark pine health is shown to be alarmingly low with
mortalities heavily increasing. A grand total of 28 incidents occurred that
summer, including the Soda Butte attack, making the 9 of the previous year look
infinitesimal by comparison. Some of these were highly disturbing, including
persistent stalking of hikers and elk hunters during the late season months.</div>
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<br /></div>
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2011 shows some improvement in
the production of whitebark pine cones but that’s in a forest 90% depleted so a
large number of abnormal bear encounters were still reported, totaling 27, with
ten of those classified as “cause unknown, under investigation”. In all, 150
grizzlies died from 2008-2010; a record 51 in 2012 alone.</div>
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<br /></div>
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This data presents a very clear cause
and effect picture yet, astonishingly, many of the very scientists who founded
this information are now either outright denying any impact from the loss of
whitebark pines or contend they are “still studying the issue”. Chris Servheen,
Grizzly Recovery Coordinator, told me personally that there is no evidence that
whitebark pine loss will negatively affect grizzlies. They’re omnivores, he
argues, and will find other food sources.</div>
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<br /></div>
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On that point, he is absolutely
correct because now those same hungry bears are roaming outside the park
boundaries into human habitations, seeking supplemental protein to replace
what’s been lost. The IGBST’s data supports this, showing the majority of bear
mortalities in 2012-13 to be a result of cattle depredation and property damage
in residential areas. Not only has this created the illusion of an exploding
population of grizzlies, it’s drummed up the standard public reaction of fear
and intolerance. Many people are calling for sport and big game hunting
regulations to control this “overflowing population”, with no understanding of
why bears were suddenly turning up in these unusual places.</div>
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<br /></div>
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In the summer of 2012, Department
of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar responded to Wyoming governor Matt Mead’s
request that final assessment and delisting of the Yellowstone grizzly bear
population from the protections of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) be
completed and proposed by 2014. It is expected that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (USFWS) and other agencies will finish their analysis of the situation
by early next year and that the USFWS will then propose the delisting.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Yellowstone’s grizzlies were
originally delisted by the Bush Administration in 2007 partly, according to
Servheen, to show that the ESA was having some success. A Montana environmental
group rightfully challenged this ruling on the grounds that there was no
accurate way to count the number of grizzlies in Yellowstone to conclusively
determine the size of the population and that the USFWS had failed to prove that
the whitebark decline would not harm the bears. The delisting was successfully
overturned in 2009.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The USFWS was dismayed by this
decision and even seemed to take it as a personal affront. They immediately
went into action drafting a second delisting proposal, this time with a “new
approach”: to show – on paper – that the estimated 600 grizzlies of the
Yellowstone ecosystem are actually more in the range of 1,000. </div>
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<br /></div>
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This is not about science or
conservation. It’s a political game. Basically, whoever can “prove” that the
grizzly bear population of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is stable and
growing and can successfully get them delisted gets the keys to the car, so to
speak, of bear management. Personal political stature is the only thing many of
these people are really working for.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Having swallowed the “exploding
bear population” line hook and all, Governor Mead has decided to allow sport
and big game hunting of grizzlies in Wyoming should the delisting be
successful. Mead has cited grizzlies as a “heightened threat to humans” and
there are a number of locals who literally cannot wait for their macho moment
to kill one.</div>
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<br /></div>
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This is a terrifying prospect.
For one, grizzly bears have one of the lowest reproductive rates of any mammal
in North America. They do not reach sexual maturity until five years of age,
females remain with their cubs for up to two years and, depending on
environmental conditions, may not reproduce again for three or four years after
separating from previous young. With the failing health of the Yellowstone
ecosystem, the reproductive rate is already below normal. Throw big game
hunting into the mix and the mortality rate will very quickly exceed the birth
rate, just as it did in the 2007 delisting. This species cannot survive such
grim odds.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The better and sounder solution
would be to let the bears move into the Wind River Range of Wyoming, where
winter temperatures remain cold enough to prevent the mountain pine beetle’s
intrusion and whitebarks are flourishing. Then let’s establish travel corridors
across Montana, linking Yellowstone with Glacier, where the habitat is
healthier and more diverse. This would, of course, involve getting bears over
and under highways. With our technology and know-how this is very much an
attainable goal, though apparently not as easy as simply drafting a potential
extinction plan that could adversely affect the species to a disastrous extent.</div>
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<br /></div>
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And all the while, the voices of
the multitude, the voices that could promulgate change, are silent on the
issue. Many truly have no idea that such critical decisions are on the verge of
being made and others fear bears to such an irrational extent that they
honestly cannot conceive of coexisting with them. But it’s not too late. It’s
not too late to let it be known where we stand on this issue; otherwise I fear
we may wake up one day to find that the wild has been taken out of the
wilderness.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
For IBST mortality data visit: nrmsc.usgs.gov/science/igbst/mort</div>
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For IGBST whitebark pine data visit: nrmsc.usgs.gov/science/igbst/wbp</div>
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Chris Nunnally studies bears independently, has worked with them in captivity,
maintains an educational blog, “Where the Bear Walks”, has authored a book by
the same name, and writes freelance articles about bear issues. He divides his
time between his hometown in Alabama and the rugged mountains of Alaska and
Montana, which are among the last strongholds the grizzly bear still calls
home.</div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11237393264153559661noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764333055130378388.post-22911206866093066732015-09-24T17:07:00.002-05:002015-09-24T17:07:28.231-05:00The End of Bear Bile Farming<div style="text-align: justify;">
This is the best news I've seen in a long time! The horrific practice of bear bile farming is finally coming to an end thanks to the hard work and perseverance of Jill Robinson and Animals Asia. Congratulations to you guys and thank you for everything you've done!</div>
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Full details at this link: <a href="https://www.animalsasia.org/us/media/news/news-archive/bear-bile-farming-to-be-eradicated-in-vietnam-by-2020.html" target="_blank">https://www.animalsasia.org/us/media/news/news-archive/bear-bile-farming-to-be-eradicated-in-vietnam-by-2020.html</a></div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11237393264153559661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764333055130378388.post-8278336454346064452015-06-05T04:00:00.001-05:002015-06-05T04:00:52.030-05:00The Beginning of a New Chapter...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As I write this, I'm sitting in a hotel in Kenai, Alaska after a full day of traveling. It's almost 1 A.M. and only now just getting dark outside. Tomorrow I catch a float plane to remote Redoubt Bay Lodge where I will be living for the next three months and working as a bear viewing guide. This is something I have long wanted to do and I'm both excited and nervous. I've become certified as a level 1 guide in Alaska by Dr. Stephen Stringham (who I will be working with at the Lodge) and will be completing level 2 field training when I arrive. I'll be surrounded by so many bears that I'm not even allowed to have a pack of crackers in my cabin, so it will be an experience that even I will find intense. The end result will be invaluable, though, and I'll be doing a lot of writing this summer. I bought a new camera for pictures and I'm hoping to get another book out of this, even if only a photo book. Internet at the Lodge will be spotty, if not non-existent, so it may be difficult to provide updates. I can if I will, otherwise I will have a plethora of photos and stories when I return in September. Have a great summer!!</div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11237393264153559661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764333055130378388.post-24797847720276242572015-04-28T18:25:00.004-05:002015-04-28T18:25:43.983-05:00New ArticleMy latest article on the West Glacier black bear, this one encompassing the uniqueness of his life and the tragedy of his death, along with lessons we could learn about bears as a result.<br />
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<a href="https://www.thedodo.com/west-glacier-black-bear-the-life-and-death-of-a-remarkable-animal-1102998997.html" target="_blank">https://www.thedodo.com/west-glacier-black-bear-the-life-and-death-of-a-remarkable-animal-1102998997.html</a>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11237393264153559661noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764333055130378388.post-13095067785388147502015-04-28T18:22:00.002-05:002015-04-28T18:22:37.544-05:00New book "The Beardude Story"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHOyZLgo73dRvwzwGXui5BqVclwZJPVyhZz0ObDiSGmpobUGG34D4h4jYp9pS9x90eM-drKmzXwwN3n8-_kSiBFa5ZQ4KcoKfTjWpExaWk-Ve2wtv_6dvhgBa807yt2ibQ0IdKWoTrqN0/s1600/THUMBNAIL_IMAGE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHOyZLgo73dRvwzwGXui5BqVclwZJPVyhZz0ObDiSGmpobUGG34D4h4jYp9pS9x90eM-drKmzXwwN3n8-_kSiBFa5ZQ4KcoKfTjWpExaWk-Ve2wtv_6dvhgBa807yt2ibQ0IdKWoTrqN0/s1600/THUMBNAIL_IMAGE.jpg" /></a></div>
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My friend Allen Piche has written and just published a book about his
experiences feeding wild black bears at his home in British Columbia.
When a larger than usual number of black bears were killed at a nearby
lake resort for trying to obtain human foods, Allen's feeding was
blamed...until all of his bears returned alive and well. I read an early
copy of this book prior to publication and I can't recommend it highly
enough! Well-written, well-researched, and thorough. Includes amazing
insights into peacefully getting along with bears and references to some of
my own writing and conclusions.<br />
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<a href="https://www.createspace.com/5325839" target="_blank">https://www.createspace.com/5325839</a><br />
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And here's a link to one of my earlier posts about Allen for a brief overview of his story:<br />
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<a href="http://wherethebearwalks.blogspot.com/2011/12/data-vs-dogma.html" target="_blank">http://wherethebearwalks.blogspot.com/2011/12/data-vs-dogma.html</a>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11237393264153559661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764333055130378388.post-45626397102172177352015-02-09T23:55:00.000-06:002015-02-09T23:55:16.205-06:00Doug Peacock presentation at the University of Montana<div style="text-align: justify;">
I've been spending the winter in Missoula, Montana and the day I arrived here from West Glacier back in October I was fortunate enough to attend a presentation by Doug Peacock at the University of Montana. It was a great night and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to meet one of my primary heroes and influences. I was thrilled to discover tonight that the presentation was filmed and posted online. I've had a great time being able to relive it this evening!</div>
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Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11237393264153559661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764333055130378388.post-27581076969649634712015-02-06T23:57:00.000-06:002015-02-06T23:59:48.031-06:00Death of the West Glacier Black Bear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0C2digIVE1QWJ7NPjz_d9a5TtAr2cBpTvjzH7ItxUStMaH31fjCl27wf9H8OevaYEC3XJUk_ulLbuGSBaUdPcvelPLw69rdD-Hn5voKaaAw9GsnYm0Obd7t4aPAHqsc7peyRWn97Dj58/s1600/West+Glacier+Black+Bear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0C2digIVE1QWJ7NPjz_d9a5TtAr2cBpTvjzH7ItxUStMaH31fjCl27wf9H8OevaYEC3XJUk_ulLbuGSBaUdPcvelPLw69rdD-Hn5voKaaAw9GsnYm0Obd7t4aPAHqsc7peyRWn97Dj58/s1600/West+Glacier+Black+Bear.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> The West Glacier black bear. Photo by Marcel Vrab, July 2013.</span><br />
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Okay, it's been waaay too long since I've updated this blog. I apologize for that. I've been meaning to post all summer but the topic at heart has been a difficult one and I've been grappling with it for awhile and trying to decide how to approach it. I feel like it's now or never.</div>
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I returned to West Glacier for the summer of 2014. I hadn't intended to but ended up doing it anyway and a large part of the reason why is because of the West Glacier black bear. I've written a lot in the past about this extraordinary animal and the mutual curiosity he and I had for each other, which you can read about in the post below this one. After the incredible experiences I had with this animal in the summer of 2013, I couldn't wait to find him again and see what would happen this time around.</div>
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I arrived in West Glacier the first week of June but didn't expect him to show that early. The morning of my first full day back, I spent 40 minutes watching a grizzly graze on dandelions outside my cabin and took it as a sign that good things were in store for the season. As June moved into July and the huckleberry and gooseberry crop bloomed, the bear still did not show and I began to worry. Twice I had very strange dreams about him: one in which I was walking the road to the old bridge when he came out of the woods, walked up to me, and put his nose in my hand and another in which he walked up to the screen door of my cabin and sat there looking in as I sat in a chair in the living room looking back at him. The sense of a great distance between us in that dream was eerie and it left me uncomfortable. Late at night I would lie in bed and listen for the sounds of his presence outside but the nights were disturbingly quiet. I began to fear the worst.</div>
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Those fears were confirmed in August when the maintenance man for the West Glacier Mercantile told me the bear had been shot the previous winter. Apparently a year-round resident loved the bear and enjoyed having him around but when he traveled out of state for a vacation and his son flew in long distance to housesit, the son panicked at the sight of the bear walking through the yard and shot him on the spot. An illegal kill, but I highly doubt any action was taken against the man, though some kind certainly should have been...at the very least a hefty fine. After receiving this news, I spent the evening sitting on the beach by the river in front of my cabin feeling sad, heartbroken, angry, and helpless when from out of nowhere a young subadult black bear walked down the beach alongside me, crossed the river, and began foraging on the far bank. This young bear had been around all summer and I had seen him once or twice but his appearance now seemed too perfect to be a coincidence. The bear I had come to know was part of a family line of black bears who have lived in the West Glacier area for decades and this youngster was no doubt one of the latest in that line, maybe even a sibling or cub of the one I had come back to find. To me, it was a sign that even though he may be gone, his spirit still lives. I wanted so badly to run back to the cabin and bring my roommates down to see the bear, but I was so overcome with emotion that it was a long time before I could pull it together enough to tear myself away from what I was seeing.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> Subadult black bear the night I learned of the West Glacier bear's death.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the time following, West Glacier lost all of its magic for me. The place no longer seemed alive knowing </span> </span>its greatest enigma was gone. Honestly, at that point I couldn't wait to get out of there and I don't know if I could ever go back. For me, this senseless killing was a direct result of everything I had been writing against: needless fear of bears. An animal who was essentially a gentle giant slaughtered onsite just because of what he was. It angers me, it sickens me, and for a time it made me wonder if there was any point in continuing to push a message that seems meant to fall on deaf ears, but now I've redoubled my efforts and decided I can't just leave it at that. I've already started re-working my "An Unusual Friendship: The West Glacier Bear" article (see the post below) to include the circumstances of his death and what we can learn about respecting and living with bears from that. I'm thinking of also updating my book with the inclusion of these events and even writing a screenplay about a young boy being sent to Montana and befriending a wild black bear. Allowing him and his fate to speak for the future of all bears, I think, is the best way to prevent his death from being in vain and to keep him alive and forever working his unique magic.<br />
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I think now of the dreams I had about him early in the season before I ever knew of his fate - dreams that seemed to hint at his fate - and I wonder: were they really only dreams or was he there to meet me after all? </div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11237393264153559661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764333055130378388.post-72141698313170722052014-04-21T16:50:00.002-05:002014-04-21T16:50:49.060-05:00New Article Out Now<div style="text-align: justify;">
The spring 2014 edition of The Glacier Park Foundation's Inside Trail magazine is out now and it features my latest article, "An Unusual Friendship: The West Glacier Black Bear". You can also read the piece on this blog at <a href="http://www.wherethebearwalks.blogspot.com/2013/11/new-article.html" target="_blank">http://www.wherethebearwalks.blogspot.com/2013/11/new-article.html</a></div>
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<br />Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11237393264153559661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764333055130378388.post-65876111158451066042014-03-19T22:59:00.002-05:002014-04-15T16:43:27.374-05:00Help Save Black Bear Cubs<div style="text-align: justify;">
Orphaned black bear cubs Smokey, Bandit, and Tuliaan are currently at Fortress of the Bear in Sitka and they need your help! The Fortress has been given a deadline to complete a new habitat enclosure for the cubs by April 15th or the bears could be subject to euthanization by Alaska Fish and Game. The Fortress has started a fundraiser online to sell 100 new, original T-shirts bearing their logo to help finish the habitats. Shirts are $20.00 apiece plus the option to include a donation if you like at the link below. Please help in any way that you can and spread the word!</div>
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<a href="https://www.booster.com/blackbearhabitat?share=3951395273510237" target="_blank">https://www.booster.com/blackbearhabitat?share=3951395273510237</a></div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11237393264153559661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764333055130378388.post-35219045765257114722014-03-17T11:46:00.000-05:002014-03-17T11:46:08.453-05:00The Minnesota DNR Declares War Against Research Bears<div style="text-align: justify;">
Some new and shocking information has come to light in the legal battle between black bear biologist Lynn Rogers and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). If you haven't kept up with the case, Lynn attained worldwide recognition for installing a webcam in a bear's den in 2010 and broadcasting the live birth of a cub all across the internet. A massive following on Facebook and the placement of several more den cams have come about in the years since...including a falling out with the DNR, who seem just a wee bit jealous to me.</div>
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The Minnesota DNR's primary concern is that Lynn gains the trust of his bears by feeding them and, with the old mantra that "a fed bear is a dead bear" still alive and well, they fear these animals could become dangerous to people. I'm not going to go too deeply into the subject of feeding since I've already done that extensively on this blog and in my book, but I will recap one very important point: the "fed bear is a dead bear" mantra was coined by a couple of campground owners and applies more to that situation than it does to wildlife management. Bears who obtain food from campsites or roadside handouts from dozens of people never make a personal association with anyone and thus never develop a sense of respect or kinship with any one person and can become dangerous, whereas a bear fed by a specific individual makes a personal association with that person and typically does not carry that to anyone else. How else could so many people spend so much time (decades in some cases) feeding bears in their backyard without the animals ever posing a threat to them or anyone else? This is a radical notion and one not widely accepted, though it certainly should be, and this lady could benefit from learning a thing or two about it and about a bear's natural sense of curiosity: <a href="http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_25216729/bear-researchers-controversial-methods-trial" target="_blank">http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_25216729/bear-researchers-controversial-methods-trial</a></div>
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Lynn was denied a renewal of his permit and told to stop broadcasting his den cams online (that <i>really </i>sounds like jealousy) and now a court battle has begun to determine if what Lynn is trying to do could create dangerous bears. The primary testimony against him was from the woman in the above article, though her claims don't hold much water in light of this: <a href="http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_25275752/rogers-neighbors-deny-problems-bears" target="_blank">http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_25275752/rogers-neighbors-deny-problems-bears</a></div>
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It quickly became apparent during the court proceedings that the DNR did not have as strong of a case as they had hoped. None of the department officials had ever even bothered to visit the North American Bear Center or the Wildlife Research Institute to observe firsthand what Lynn was doing, yet they seemed to have so much insight into what was "really" going on at those facilities. When it was revealed that the DNR was exaggerating the number of bear complaints - and attributing them to residents who later testified they had <i>not </i>made those complaints - it seemed to be the lowest point the DNR could possibly stoop to. That is, until this recent, stunning revelation: <a href="http://timberjay.com/stories/Bear-study-in-doubt,11395#comments" target="_blank">http://timberjay.com/stories/Bear-study-in-doubt,11395#comments</a></div>
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Lynn has lost several of his research bears to hunters over the years. Some were accidents and some appear to have been out of spite. Who can forget the eerie comments boasting of bear jerky when Hope (the cub whose online birth made headlines in 2010) was shot and killed, or the bloody radio collar that was placed in the mail after the disappearance of a research bear? But to think the Minnesota DNR is assisting hunters in deliberately targeting and killing Lynn's bears is about as sick as sick gets. The article above states that Lynn lost roughly 30 percent of his study animals this past hunting season (5.5 is the annual average) and Lynn and his assistant Sue Mansfield have found reason to believe that June, the latest radio-collared bear to be lost, was intentionally targeted. Lynn fears that this could mark the end of his research, though the court has not yet made a final ruling.</div>
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I don't think this is simply about misguided fear of bears. While it's true that old dogmas about feeding bears are still being thrown around, I think this has more to do with simple spite. The department has never been on equal footing with Lynn and they've finally taken it too far. At this link, you can find all the contact information for the Minnesota DNR: <a href="http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/contact/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/contact/index.html</a> Write to them and let them know exactly what you think about this. Show them there is no evidence indicating that Lynn's bears pose a threat to anyone and that, in fact, the opposite should be true. Probably their minds are already made up, but that doesn't mean we have to be silent about it.</div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11237393264153559661noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764333055130378388.post-4806334729233200202014-02-24T11:27:00.000-06:002014-02-24T11:46:50.152-06:00Book Review: Dominion of Bears: Living with Wildlife in Alaska<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One generally expects to hear ignorant assumptions about bears in places where bears do not actually exist, but I was surprised to find those assumptions are just as alive and well in bear-heavy states, such as Montana and Alaska. Even there, the stalking beast of lore has found its way into the human consciousness.<br />
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Sherry Simpson, a freelance writer and regular contributor to <i>Alaska </i>magazine, spent years traveling across the Great Land, interviewing bear people and anti-bear people, hunters, photographers, state officials, game officials, biologists, authors, and independent researchers. The result is this stunning and excellently written treatise on the state of bear issues in the Last Frontier. Seldom have I seen a book juggle so many points of view and do it so successfully, without losing focus.</div>
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Sherry is without question an advocate for the bears and this book represents a plea for them, a begging for a change of perspective before it's too late, and a grim look at the force new ideas are pushing up against. Larry Kaniut, author of the well-known and over-exaggerated <i>Alaska Bear Tales </i>blood and guts series, declares in 2009 that Anchorage is too soft on bears and that if he were calling the shots, any bear that came within the city limits would be mercilessly destroyed. In newspaper letters all across the state, locals bemoan and lament bear sightings in their backyard and frequent calls to eliminate all ursine residents of the state - particularly grizzlies - are put to the Fish and Game department, citing the need for safer hiking trails. It is these very people that baffle me; if the idea of a bear in your backyard is so frightening, then move to the city with the gangs and crack addicts that you may like better. Sherry concludes that people want the mystique of living in the Last Frontier but they don't want the "frontier" aspect that must necessarily come with it...and that for me would be the primary reason for living in Alaska.</div>
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For every demand to cull bears completely, Sherry shows the tremendous revenue the state takes in from people who often come from thousand of miles - and who often spend thousands of dollars - to walk free and unseparated with the giant brown bears of the Katmai coast as they fish for salmon. For every garbage can-raiding black bear, we are shown the incredible interactions between human visitors and habituated bears at McNeil River and Brooks Falls. For every dark cloud that threatens, Sherry still manages to show us the rays of sun that struggle to peek through.</div>
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But sometimes the darkness prevails. The book culminates with a look inside the inner workings of Alaska's predator control operation, the Sarah Palin-esque "kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out" politics that are driving it, and the horrendous damage it's done. This chapter is troubling and angering and clearly outlines what the future consequences could be.</div>
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I cannot recommend this book highly enough and it may be evident that I've struggled for words to describe it throughout this review. The writing is absolutely top form and, while the chapters are lengthy, I could never once tear my attention from them once I started. Check this one out! Odds are you won't find it on the shelves of many Alaskan retailers though. Too many copies of <i>Alaska Bear Tales </i>to sell.</div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11237393264153559661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764333055130378388.post-43566429778008486202014-01-14T10:33:00.001-06:002014-01-14T10:33:37.728-06:00The Fortress of the Bear: A Volunteer's Experience<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Debi Terry, a friend and volunteer at Fortress of the Bear in Sitka and an amazing photographer, has just published a photo/info book about her adventures working there. She relates her experiences with the bears and observations she's gathered on their behavior along with full color photos. Oh, and I'm in it! Check it out. <a href="https://www.createspace.com/4588398" target="_blank">https://www.createspace.com/4588398</a></div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11237393264153559661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764333055130378388.post-86582960696928562552014-01-13T16:54:00.000-06:002014-01-13T16:54:00.189-06:00"Grizzlies Should Stay on Endangered Species List, Scientists Say"<div style="text-align: justify;">
More and more good news as people are standing up against the delisting efforts that are underway. It's nice to see this article pointing out the flaws in the belief that whitebark pine loss is not having an adverse affect on Yellowstone grizzlies. The political motivations for the delisting and the intended establishment of sport hunting regulations are all laid bare in this excellent piece.</div>
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<a href="http://www.livescience.com/41915-scientists-contest-grizzly-bear-delisting.html" target="_blank">http://www.livescience.com/41915-scientists-contest-grizzly-bear-delisting.html</a></div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11237393264153559661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764333055130378388.post-43391321500062446072014-01-12T13:31:00.002-06:002014-01-12T13:32:31.098-06:00Book Review - Out on a Limb<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sensationalism sells. It seems everywhere I go in Alaska and Montana, the only bear books on the shelves are compilations of attack stories like <i>Alaska Bear Tales </i>or <i>Killer Bears </i>or <i>Mark of the Grizzly</i> while insightful, educational works like this are relegated solely to online distributors. In truth, a book of bear attack stories probably would not even be published today and gems such as Benjamin Kilham's <i>Out on a Limb </i>are part of the reason why.<br />
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A resident of Lyme, New Hampshire, Kilham knew he was different from everyone else when he flunked out of kindergarten. Battling dyslexia - and an educational system that does not cater to the fact that different individuals learn in different ways - Kilham was almost 40 years old before he fully understood how dyslexia works, how it was hindering him, and how he could use it to his advantage. With a family history of animal research, beginning with his ornithologist father, Kilham's disability barred him from obtaining an academic degree so he obtained a license as a wildlife rehabilitator and into his hands came a set of black bear cubs.</div>
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Throughout his 2002 book <i>Among the Bears, </i>Kilham recounts his experiences raising several sets of orphaned black bear cubs and teaching them how to function as wild animals before re-releasing them. Being an independent researcher who sees the world in pictures rather than scientific jargon, Kilham was captivated by the behaviors he witnessed. He found black bears to be largely social rather than loners as believed by the scientific community (even today many still hold onto the belief that bears are not social despite all the evidence to the contrary) and saw that they seemed to exhibit altruism, a quality believed to be found only in humans; and not just altruism towards each other but to other creatures. Kilham even performed self-awareness tests using only the cubs, their toys, and a mirror. The cubs reacted at the sight of their reflection by first checking for a scent, then searching around and around the mirror for another bear, and then finally settling in with their toys in front of the mirror and very pointedly observing themselves at play.</div>
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Kilham spent thousands of hours with his bears, documenting their behaviors, and taking copious notes about what he was witnessing. He was the subject of documentaries on both the Discovery Channel and National Geographic and even discovered a previously unknown sensory organ located in the roof of a bear's mouth that allows the animal to taste something without having to eat it (now called the Kilham Organ). But unfortunately most of the scientific community does not put much stock in observation and dismissed his work on the grounds that he did not perform controlled experiments and that he did not publish his findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals, even though no one else could have reviewed his work because no one has his unique insight. More open-minded scientists embraced his observations, though, and believed that he may be on the verge of fully opening on the mystery of bear society. Now, with the publication of his new book, he's finally done that.</div>
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While <i>Among the Bears </i>recounted Kilham's experiences raising the orphaned cubs, his 2013 book <i>Out on a Limb </i>pulls it all together and is strictly about presenting his findings. Having read so many books about bears, I'm thrilled to find that I can still be surprised by one and some of the observations here are so stunning and yet so simple and obvious that I had to walk away from the book several times just to let it sink in.</div>
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According to Kilham's research, bears are not only social animals but they exist within a societal structure. They cooperate with one another, deceive and manipulate to get what they want, lay down rules and boundaries for each other, and punish those who break those rules. Kilham found himself taking the brunt of some of this punishment during the early days while still learning about bear behavior and body language. If he overstepped his bounds or broke an established rule he had missed, he would find himself being bluff-charged, swatted, or with his arm in a bear's mouth (with no pressure applied or teeth used) to remind him of his place, with each followed by soft moans and affection, a reconciliation from the bear and an assurance that the bond is still intact. Kilham postulates that this system of boundaries and punishments could explain some unprovoked attacks on humans and why some bears react defensively or aggressively to a human presence.</div>
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Kilham concludes by offering some practical advice on the bear-human relationship. He tackles the common issue of "nuisance" or "problem" bears and shows it for what it really is: an unspoken agreement between human and bear. When someone feeds a bear, a type of contract is established, a sharing of surplus foods. The same bear will return to the same place or person time and again seeking more because a bond has been established and the bear views the feeder as an ally. This puts quite a stumbling block in the belief that feeding a bear will turn it into a potential man-eater and deepens the story of Jack and Patti Becklund who fed and befriended wild black bears from their home in Minnesota for years without suffering property damage or injury; nor did their bears ever approach other people looking for food. Feeding a bear and then stopping, however, could be setting yourself up for injury or property damage as punishment for breaking the contract.</div>
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I don't think I've been this blown away by a book since Charlie Russell's <i>Grizzly Heart</i> and I'm left with the same feeling that we're just scratching the surface of something big and I'm hungry for more! Since the publication of these findings, Kilham has been awarded a PhD with the information in this book being presented as his doctoral thesis. Hopefully now science will start to develop a more open mind and realize that sometimes common sense observation can hold the greatest answers.</div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11237393264153559661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764333055130378388.post-28593383561173182602013-11-15T10:34:00.000-06:002013-11-15T10:34:05.330-06:00A Busy Week<div style="text-align: justify;">
Wow, what a week it's been! Headlines are exploding and I've been doing a lot of writing in response. I had been planning a large campaign to build public opposition against the push to delist the Yellowstone grizzly next year and intended to kick it off with an article about the issue. While that was in the works, this headline from the Bozeman Daily Chronicle set things in motion for me: <a href="http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/wildlife/article_f260ce4a-47e9-11e3-bb2f-001a4bcf887a.html" target="_blank">http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/wildlife/article_f260ce4a-47e9-11e3-bb2f-001a4bcf887a.html</a> </div>
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A couple of days later, The Earth Times, an online environmental newspaper, published my latest (and most in-depth) article about this issue. You can read it here: <a href="http://www.earthtimes.org/conservation/losing-our-grizzly-bears-fall-wild/2493/" target="_blank">http://www.earthtimes.org/conservation/losing-our-grizzly-bears-fall-wild/2493/</a> </div>
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The piece has been spreading like a wildfire across social media and with its publication, I sent a letter to the editor of the Bozeman Daily Chronicle highlighting the basic points I covered in the article but it so far hasn't seen the light of day. I followed that with a personal letter to Wyoming Governor Matt Mead, again highlighting the points of the issue and trying specifically to persuade him to reconsider the trophy hunting regulations he wants to establish. Not surprisingly, it too has so far been ignored.</div>
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Just yesterday afternoon, I finished an op-ed article that I'm now shopping around. More of these are to come, including letters to Wyoming and Montana area papers where they will probably have the most affect.</div>
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Then, yesterday evening, I received quite a surprise. Someone slipped me a link to this article, which may be a ray of light in this gathering storm: <a href="http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming-supreme-court-to-hear-grizzly-documents-case/article_fe85852b-3c60-5804-8ccd-9a793cb491c8.html" target="_blank">http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming-supreme-court-to-hear-grizzly-documents-case/article_fe85852b-3c60-5804-8ccd-9a793cb491c8.html</a> Scroll down to the comments. The one by Cody Coyote revealing Gov. Mead's anti-predator stance is very interesting and likely explains why my letter to him was ignored. I'll be keeping a close eye on this as it develops.</div>
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You can get involved in this campaign also. You can contact both Gov. Mead and Wyoming Game and Fish online and write letters to your local papers highlighting this issue. Many people morally oppose what's happening but are not vocally opposing it; we have to be vocal and let it be known that we stand against the delisting and trophy hunting. If hunters, the NRA, scouts and wildlife groups came together in partnership with the government and conservation groups, it would finally prove that there is public support for the grizzly bear and funds and manpower could be combined to establish travel corridors across Montana, getting bears over and under highways and linking the isolated Yellowstone population with Glacier where they would have easy access to Canada and B.C. It would take work but would be much more noble than drafting a potential extinction plan.</div>
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<br />There have also been a couple of interesting articles involving polar bears, who are themselves in a bad way right now. Due to decreased ice floes in the arctic and shorter hunting seasons, polar bears are starving and this is leading to increased risk of attacks on humans in areas where such things have rarely ever occurred. This has lead to wildlife officers in Arviat, Nunavut to establish feeding stations to keep the bears out of the community, an option that was proposed last winter by several polar bear experts in Hudson Bay. Once I've completed my writing campaign for the delisting issue, I'll be working on another op-ed for the polar bear crisis. Until then, you can read about what's happening here: <a href="http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2013/nov/10/scientists-warn-of-polar-bear-attacks-in-warming/#axzz2kGPanbkj" target="_blank">http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2013/nov/10/scientists-warn-of-polar-bear-attacks-in-warming/#axzz2kGPanbkj</a> </div>
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And find info on the feeding stations here: <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/arviat-tests-feeding-stations-to-divert-polar-bears-1.2425012" target="_blank">http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/arviat-tests-feeding-stations-to-divert-polar-bears-1.2425012</a></div>
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Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11237393264153559661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764333055130378388.post-91385930033529845622013-11-08T16:07:00.001-06:002013-11-08T16:07:24.936-06:00New Article<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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As a bonus post today, here is a new article of mine that will be published in the Glacier Park Foundation's <i>The Inside Trail </i>magazine in February or March 2014.</div>
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****</div>
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THE WEST GLACIER BLACK BEAR: AN UNUSUAL FRIENDSHIP</div>
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<br /></div>
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When I came to Glacier National
Park to work seasonally in the summer of 2012, I was already something of a
self-taught bear expert. I had read dozens of books on the subject and even
worked with captive grizzlies in Alaska, so I reacted with less dread than some
of my colleagues at the news that a 400 pound black bear had taken up residence
in town two years prior and was especially enjoying the cornucopia of
huckleberries and dandelions that were growing around the employee cabins where
I would be living. “He’s a sweet bear,” I had been assured by some who had
already been face to face with him on more than one occasion.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Despite all the stories I had
been told, the bear – who had been described to me as “enormous” – remained
elusive. I can recall lying in the bed at night and listening to a large animal
moving around outside, snapping sticks as he foraged. Then one evening, while
watching a movie in the dark, the bright flickering light of the screen on the
window drew him to the cabin and he stood up, placing his paws on the glass,
peering in at the light. Whereas others may have reacted with fear and panic,
the exhaustive research I had done helped me to understand a bear’s curious
nature and I knew he would not be able to resist investigating this new
phenomenon. After a few moments at the window, I heard his claws slide off the
glass and he resumed about his business.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
We finally met only a week or so
later. It was a late mid-August evening and thunderstorms were threatening in
the thick summer heat. A friend and I were returning to the cabins from our
favorite hangout spot along the river and were greeted by a large black shape
coming up the road toward us.</div>
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<br /></div>
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My friend was excited but nervous
and asked me what we should do. Considering the drive to the cabins was very
narrow, I advised we should move back and allow the bear plenty of space and a
way out lest he feel cornered.</div>
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<br /></div>
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We backed away near a street
light (it was dusk at this time) and watched in awe as the silhouette of one of
the largest animals I had ever seen casually passed in front of us, taking the
exit we had given him and simultaneously giving us a clear path back home. The
stories I had heard were all true: this bear was huge! With a heavily muscled,
trim body and thick tree trunk legs, this guy could give just about any grizzly
in the park a run for its money in the size department. Needless to say, my
friend and I spent a very late night excitedly chatting up the encounter.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Some days later, I was walking
alone down the drive to the cabins in early afternoon and had almost arrived
home when suddenly from what seemed out of nowhere there was a large animal
moving through the thick brush off trail, just about to emerge onto the path
right in front of me. I calmly and firmly called “Hey, bear!” I couldn’t see
him in the brush but he instantly stopped moving, clearly startled. “It’s just
me, bear!” I announced, by now assured that my voice was well known in these
parts due to the many late nights I had spent walking this trail in the dark
after work, calling out the whole way. At that, the bear made a slight course
correction and instead of popping out on the trail, he followed it until he was
behind me, then crossed, giving me only one casual glance in the process.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I only saw him once more that
first year. He returned to the cabins in September with a mysterious foot
injury and spent several days bedded down in the woods nearby while he healed.
In all the time he had been down there, we had never been aggressive towards
him or tried to haze and frighten him away, so he clearly felt this was a safe
place and that he was welcome.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Truth is, he was welcome all over
town. Each morning it was not hard to find excited talk about where the bear
had been seen the previous evening and what he had been doing and if he failed
to appear for a few days, concern for his well-being spread throughout the
little community. Never once did he damage property, raid garbage, or ever
attempt to gain access to anything other than natural foods. Never once was he
exposed to human violence or aggression and he returned that respect to
everyone he met, even during unexpected close encounters. Perhaps there’s a
valuable lesson there that should be taken to heart in our dealings with bears
elsewhere.</div>
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<br /></div>
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When I returned to Glacier in the
summer of 2013, the issue of his whereabouts was the first and most burning
question on my mind. By this point I had used my experiences with Glacier’s
bears the previous summer to deepen my knowledge, had written two articles and
a book on the subject, and considered the black bear of West Glacier to be a
rare enigma, a fascinating and complex creature, and I wanted to know more
about him.</div>
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Apparently he felt the same way
about me because, inexplicably, he began seeking me out.</div>
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It was late June/early July
before we met again. I was sitting on the porch of my cabin after a long day
when I looked up to my left and saw him fifty feet away watching me with a
gently curious expression framed below his Mickey Mouse ears. He reacted almost
apologetically, as if he were saying “Oh, sorry to bother you”, and moved on
with his usual calm demeanor, disappearing somewhere behind my cabin. “I bet he
bedded down back there,” I remarked later to my friend from the previous year.
To this day, I don’t know why I said that and I don’t even know if I was
serious but I certainly couldn’t have predicted how ironic that statement would
become.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I was catching up on email late
one night when I heard the familiar cracking and snapping of sticks that marked
the bear’s approach. I listened as he sat with a w<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">huff </i>outside my bedroom’s back exit. He leaned his massive frame
against the door, the wood creaking and groaning, then slid onto the ground.
After several minutes I heard deep breathing and then light snoring as the bear
slept. I was amazed, overjoyed, and more than a little bit mindblown. I
couldn’t believe this was happening to me! Once in a while, I would hear him
shift positions, swat at bugs, and even moan in his sleep before the soft
snoring resumed. A not unpleasant animal odor was present throughout and when I
awoke sometime later after dozing off, the smell was gone. So too, I knew, was
the bear.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
When I related this experience to
my colleagues, they didn’t seem too surprised. “Of course he came to you,” they
said. “You’re the bear man. He likes you.” Initially I laughed this off but I
had heard more than one bear researcher say that even wild bears seem to be
like cats, able to identify their benefactors and that they even sometimes
gravitate to these people. Could that be the case with this black bear? Was it
just coincidence he ended up at my door or was he picking up on something?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I’m only aware of two or three
other occasions in which he slept outside my door, but I often awoke in the
middle of the night to thumps, bumps, and scrapes on my side of the cabin. I
checked the area for a daybed or any natural foods that may be growing there
and found nothing that would hold his interest. His choice to sleep there
seemed completely random.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Because of the unusually dry
summer, the huckleberry crop was very meager and with its failure, the bear
abandoned the cabin area and moved on to greener pastures. I spent one evening
around dark standing on the beach at the river watching his enormous silhouette
patrolling the high bank of the far shore. Otherwise, he seemed to have
disappeared.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The last time we met in broad
daylight was in late September. The summer season was ending, fall was coming,
and I was getting ready to move on to another job. I was walking along the road
and, to my surprise, found the bear sitting upright alongside a small pine tree
next to the road, watching me as I approached. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I stopped some distance away and
let him see me, then I slowly pulled out my camera. When he saw the strange
object pointed at him, he jumped into the road and started running.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“It’s okay, bear,” I called out
to him. “It’s just me, bear!” At the sound of my voice, he stopped and turned
to look at me, cartoon ears raised high. “It’s okay, buddy,” I implored,
kneeling down in what I hoped would be a peaceful gesture. “Don’t be afraid.”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
He visibly calmed, mouth dropping
open, a body language sign of total relaxation. I snapped a couple of bad,
blurry photos and then we watched each other for a few minutes. He made full
eye contact with me for a long moment, with an expression that I can’t quite
define, then walked away, coolly as ever, and followed the railroad tracks out
of town. I watched until he rounded the corner and disappeared from view.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
It was not long thereafter that I
moved across town to take a new job. All my things had been transferred to an
apartment on the roof above my place of work and the old cabin was empty. Near
closing time on my second night of work, one of my fellow employees came in to
tell me that a very large black bear, “the size of a small car” was hanging out
near my apartment.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It can’t be,</i> I thought and I followed him out to take a look.
There, in the dark, was the familiar silhouette of a large healthy bear with
thick tree trunk legs and a white patch on his chest. I couldn’t help but
smile. “Don’t worry about it,” I said to my slightly shaken colleague. “I know
this guy.”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
With winter just around the
corner, I expected the bear would move on to a den soon, though probably one not
too far away. Going to bed late one night, I switched off all the lights in my
apartment and looked out the door. There, to my astonishment, on the roof of
the building, was the bear following the wooden walkway up to my door. He came
straight to the glass and we made eye contact through it. He put his nose to my
face and curled up right there for a nap. My jaw was on the floor and I was too
blown away to sleep. He was actually on the roof! Why would he come up here?
Perhaps he really did know I was his benefactor and felt that he should stay
close. Maybe he was just saying hello or goodbye for the winter. Either way, I
could no longer use the word “coincidence” to explain away these encounters.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
With a big grin on my face, I
raised a toast to this remarkable animal. “Have a good winter’s sleep, bear,” I
told him. “I’ll see you next year.”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Copyright 2013 Chris Nunnally </div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11237393264153559661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764333055130378388.post-52905723772890169642013-11-08T15:59:00.001-06:002013-11-08T15:59:57.979-06:00Book Review - Bears Without Fear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-AA3RfARkNZ9612K_8w-uISRbwQbKohd1mhmCqwUdBd8VZw-mIYlNm6wvRo3l_2MVm-aEmyhBrUdXkh4zaiFpESyEpL0GFvG7sg5D0CeWm42jTqrjHxrKqkALdSYWb5yMpjkORELVwao/s1600/5034-813_NOC02_view1_1000x1000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-AA3RfARkNZ9612K_8w-uISRbwQbKohd1mhmCqwUdBd8VZw-mIYlNm6wvRo3l_2MVm-aEmyhBrUdXkh4zaiFpESyEpL0GFvG7sg5D0CeWm42jTqrjHxrKqkALdSYWb5yMpjkORELVwao/s320/5034-813_NOC02_view1_1000x1000.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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In 2002, Charlie Russell made waves when his book <i>Grizzly Heart</i> postulated that bear aggression toward humans was often linked to human aggression toward bears...and presented solid evidence in support. In the decade since, a few others have picked up on the same connection but typically one would have to go outside the world of scientists and biologists (who often have their own interests to protect considering that many of them work for agencies who have adopted the "shoot 'em all and let God sort 'em out" mentality of wildlife management) to hear the idea expressed. With more and more researchers now risking careers to promote more and more "unorthodox" views about bears, this way of thinking may no longer be relegated to obscurity.</div>
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Biologist Kevin Van Tighem spent 40 years studying wild bears in western Canada and serving as the superintendent of Banff National Park in Alberta. In 1983, his sister was severely mauled by a grizzly and suffered debilitating PTSD until she committed suicide in 2005. Van Tighem barely even makes mention of this in the book, except to note that it set him on a path to better understand what makes bears tick rather than on a path of hatred and negativity. His findings are among the most common sense ever presented.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Throughout the book's roughly 300 page length, Van Tigham tears down the myths, legends, and monster imagery surrounding bears and shows the animal underneath. He goes into great detail about the lives, social structures, habits, and behaviors of black bears, polar bears, and grizzlies (along with stunning photos). In doing this he shows bears for what they really are, what they do, how they think, how they act, and systematically removes the paranoia that over-exaggerated danger warnings promote. He has been face-to-face with bears of many different temperaments and drew upon those experiences to conclude that trust is the critical piece missing in the puzzle of coexistence. In closing he states that "the most dangerous thing about a bear is not its claws, teeth, or disposition; it's how we react to it."</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
To see this coming from someone active in the scientific community, in defiance of the more accepted way of thinking, is refreshing and will hopefully bring the possibility of what a bear without fear can truly be into the mainstream consciousness. As far as I know, the book is only widely available in Canada so opt for Amazon rather than your local bookstore.</div>
<br />Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11237393264153559661noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764333055130378388.post-21807822853274041382013-10-19T00:06:00.003-05:002013-10-19T00:06:56.644-05:00A ReturnTrip to Glacier Offers New Insights and Experiences<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNo0ZfZcavRv_3ESn9qW8PHyygOGrT4lkhsYKRDmGmRlx9sQlckgcgSSq7XHzkTzKwFqH5viIqLppz99AxwOauB13SirDBYnsGo-vF4-nzmrwV-VciUiLiVBLtDcjGA0uqEUh-43E8Js/s1600/970972_10152121066423298_520495734_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNo0ZfZcavRv_3ESn9qW8PHyygOGrT4lkhsYKRDmGmRlx9sQlckgcgSSq7XHzkTzKwFqH5viIqLppz99AxwOauB13SirDBYnsGo-vF4-nzmrwV-VciUiLiVBLtDcjGA0uqEUh-43E8Js/s320/970972_10152121066423298_520495734_n.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Apologies for my neglecting this blog of late. I've just returned from my second summer in Glacier National Park and even though there has been plenty of news to report, I've been so overwhelmed with things the last few months that I haven't been able to keep all of this info current.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
First, some details. <i>Where the Bear Walks </i>has been selling very well, around 200 copies since May. Thanks to all of you who bought a copy and thanks also to Linda Jo Hunter, author of <i>Lonesome For Bears, </i>who wrote a very thoughtful review on Amazon. My retrospective on the 45th anniversary of the night of the grizzlies was published this past spring by <i>The Inside Trail, </i>publication of the Glacier Park Foundation. That actually led me into contact with the family of Michele Koons, which has been delightful; very genuine, real, down to earth people. For those interested, a short piece I wrote on Fortress of the Bear was also printed in the July/August issue of Alaska Magazine.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now on to the bears, and there were plenty of them in Glacier this summer! I can hardly recall any hike I undertook the entire time that did not have one of those "Bear Frequenting Area" signs posted at the trailhead. A couple of encounters in particular have given me much to think about in relation to my earlier writing. A friend and I were hiking early on a steamy August day when we rounded a blind corner and came literally within feet of a very large grizzly coming straight towards us...a textbook mauling scenario. The bear was clearly as startled as we were, jumped away, retreated a few feet back, and then turned to assess the situation. He seemed to identify us as human (he fled so quickly that I can't be sure he knew what we were at first), relaxed a little, then ambled off into the woods. Some days later, on the Highline trail, we encountered another large grizzly foraging at close range on the hillside just above the trail. We watched him as he munched on wildflowers, throwing us the occasional disinterested glance, then he walked into the trail and actually followed us for several feet until the brush on the opposite side of the path opened up enough to allow him to turn off and continue on down the hill. His behavior towards us, even from a distance no greater than ten feet, was completely passive and docile; we were clearly just part of the scenery, not something to be feared and reviled.</div>
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When a co-worker told me that he mostly hikes outside of the park in a high-hunting area and that every bear he encountered aggressively charged him, I couldn't help but think of those two grizzlies coming so close and yet behaving so passively. While I have no doubt that there are aggressive bears in the park, the fact that those animals are protected, are not hunted, and are not exposed to human violence definitely influenced how they reacted to our presence. Grizzlies tend to be volatile, more naturally confrontational than black bears, so their tolerance was extraordinary and to be calmly followed only a few feet away by one down a trail was a once in a lifetime experience. As for the bear that we surprised so closely that we probably could have reached out and touched the tip of his nose? Come that close from out of nowhere in a place like Alaska and you will likely get your head bashed in. Some very good food for thought in these encounters!</div>
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Some of you may recall reading - either from my book or from posts last fall - about the West Glacier black bear, a large 400 pounder who has been a local resident in the area for a few years and who clearly enjoyed the close company of people. Well, this bear made his return appearance in July of this year and spent more than one night sleeping outside the back door of my cabin...right outside my bedroom. While I admittedly find it strange that, of all the cabins in that area, he decided to spend his time curled up at the door of the bear man, I nonetheless wrote it off as coincidence. My co-workers, however, saw something deeper in it and insisted he could sense something and was drawn to me. When I took an extra job in the fall, moved to a different location, and found out he had followed me, I was perplexed but still wrote it off as coincidence. When I looked out the window of my apartment - located on the roof of the establishment in which I worked - late one night and watched him actually walk up onto the roof and curl up for a nap outside my door, my jaw hit the floor. I was officially mindblown! Yes, I knew this bear felt safe being around people because he knew no other bears would come near him, but I had to concede at this point that maybe he was drawn to me, that maybe he did see me as a benefactor and wanted to keep such company. It's a mind-boggling story and my fascination and interest in him has definitely piqued due to this unusual behavior. I can't wait to meet him again next year and see if this persists.</div>
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So now I'm back in action and working on new articles and some op-ed pieces. I almost wish I hadn't written the book due to these new discoveries this year, but there are other outlets for them and so much more to learn.</div>
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In closing, here is a link to a wonderful new article by Gay Bradshaw and Charlie Russell, who are also working on a new book, <i>The Buddha and the Bear. </i>More to come soon! <a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/bear-in-mind/201310/right-manners" target="_blank">http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/bear-in-mind/201310/right-manners</a></div>
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Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11237393264153559661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764333055130378388.post-324570011588603712013-05-05T20:22:00.001-05:002013-05-05T20:22:43.389-05:00A Grizzly Bear's Plea<div style="text-align: justify;">
A fantastic article in Montana's Daily Inter Lake, detailing the plight of grizzlies as they suffer the continual encroachments of human habitations, all written from the perspective of a grizzly bear. This is great to see and likely a sign that the tide is turning in favor of a greater understanding about bears and a larger tolerance for what they need. I hope to see more work like this coming out in the future.</div>
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<a href="http://www.dailyinterlake.com/opinion/article_7c893002-b515-11e2-a4e9-001a4bcf887a.html" target="_blank">http://www.dailyinterlake.com/opinion/article_7c893002-b515-11e2-a4e9-001a4bcf887a.html</a></div>
Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11237393264153559661noreply@blogger.com1