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Journey of the Bitterroot Grizzly Bear: The Inside Story of a Grizzly Reintroduction Effort and the Journey of a Remarkable Young Grizzly
In The Journey of the Bitterroot Grizzly Bear, author Steve Nadeau creates a compelling insider's look at a unique grassroots recovery effort that encouraged leaders in conservation, industry, and government to collaborate on a proposal unlike any other in Endangered Species history. In the West, politics often override scientific judgments, but the demise of this optimistic proposal was not necessarily a defeat for grizzlies. Alongside the author's historical account of the recovery effort, Nadeau weaves a fascinating tale of the journey of BB, a remarkable young grizzly and recovery pioneer who survived the gauntlet in his travels from the Canadian border to central Idaho. He became the first grizzly in 60 years to find his home in the 5500 square miles of wilderness landscape in central Idaho, and his path marked the way for other bears to follow. Biologists, students, and others will enjoy this close-up look at the beauty and mystery of grizzly bears, as well as the science, conflict, and politics surrounding them as they attempt to establish a new home in the "wildest heart" of the American West."
Includes index of names, organizations, and abbreviations; bibliographic information; timeline; maps, illustrations, photos; and glossary of terms.
Includes index of names, organizations, and abbreviations; bibliographic information; timeline; maps, illustrations, photos; and glossary of terms.
- GenresScienceNonfiction
322 pages, Paperback
Published April 2, 2020
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May 15, 2020
In the prologue to his book, Journey of the Bitterroot Grizzly Bear, retired Idaho Fish and Game biologist, Steve Nadeau admits to combining two books into one. In alternating chapters he describes his experience with grizzly bear recovery and the brutal politics involved in navigating such a highly charged issue with a fictionalized portrayal of the life of a grizzly cub who grows into fame as the Bitterroot Grizzly Bear (BB), the first confirmed grizzly in the Bitterroots since 1946.
It is easy to lose a reader jumping between fiction and non-fiction. I easily fell into the fictional story of the young BB. But with non-fiction chapters inserted between the chapters of BB's life, I could never lose sight of the fact that I was ready the words of a biologist. Even as I was drawn into the purely fictional story of BB, my internal editor was shaking her head. He is anthropomorphizing! "He (BB) learned that vegetation ripened first at lower elevations and southern exposures and that they had to climb in elevation to find fresh forbs later in the year." I'm quite sure that bears roam their terroir in search of the best food available based upon the season. But I wonder how much thinking is involved versus innate instinct or ingrained habit passed on from the mother. Nadeau never even saw BB in real life. He did extrapolate a fascinating story, however, that is well-founded by his vast experience and knowledge of grizzly bear behavior. And by weaving the fictional tale of BB into his report of the battle of grizzly recovery, he brings the issue to life in a compelling way.
BB's discovery of the Bitterroot range was pivotal to the fraught decision-making process that state and federal officials haggled over regarding grizzly recovery. At one point in the book, my interest in the agonizing back and forth and political posturing that went on behind the scenes of grizzly recovery began to flag. Indeed, I recognized and remembered some of the confusing issues that the public heard during the late 1990s and early 2000s. It is always depressing to see politics interfering with well-reasoned and scientific findings and recommendations. I suppose it didn't help that I was reading this book while this country endures the ridiculous politicizing of the novel Corona Virus pandemic.
All of this is to say how much I appreciate dedicated public servants like Nadeau, who spend their lives working to protect the natural resources this country has relied upon while arguing over them. As tired as I was of reading about the recovery setbacks, Nadeau was living them. And as far as BB's story goes, to avoid spoilers, I will say only this: It caused me to suck in my breath with shock at what I was not prepared for.
It is easy to lose a reader jumping between fiction and non-fiction. I easily fell into the fictional story of the young BB. But with non-fiction chapters inserted between the chapters of BB's life, I could never lose sight of the fact that I was ready the words of a biologist. Even as I was drawn into the purely fictional story of BB, my internal editor was shaking her head. He is anthropomorphizing! "He (BB) learned that vegetation ripened first at lower elevations and southern exposures and that they had to climb in elevation to find fresh forbs later in the year." I'm quite sure that bears roam their terroir in search of the best food available based upon the season. But I wonder how much thinking is involved versus innate instinct or ingrained habit passed on from the mother. Nadeau never even saw BB in real life. He did extrapolate a fascinating story, however, that is well-founded by his vast experience and knowledge of grizzly bear behavior. And by weaving the fictional tale of BB into his report of the battle of grizzly recovery, he brings the issue to life in a compelling way.
BB's discovery of the Bitterroot range was pivotal to the fraught decision-making process that state and federal officials haggled over regarding grizzly recovery. At one point in the book, my interest in the agonizing back and forth and political posturing that went on behind the scenes of grizzly recovery began to flag. Indeed, I recognized and remembered some of the confusing issues that the public heard during the late 1990s and early 2000s. It is always depressing to see politics interfering with well-reasoned and scientific findings and recommendations. I suppose it didn't help that I was reading this book while this country endures the ridiculous politicizing of the novel Corona Virus pandemic.
All of this is to say how much I appreciate dedicated public servants like Nadeau, who spend their lives working to protect the natural resources this country has relied upon while arguing over them. As tired as I was of reading about the recovery setbacks, Nadeau was living them. And as far as BB's story goes, to avoid spoilers, I will say only this: It caused me to suck in my breath with shock at what I was not prepared for.
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