The bear is an enduring symbol of wilderness in the United States. All three species of this magnificent carnivore--black, grizzly and polar--can break your neck with a simple swat of their massive arms and clawed paws. Nevertheless, bears are not evil or monstrous. It is your behavior that can make all the difference. Your BEST defense is to learn everything you can about bears and act accordingly. That's where this book comes in. You'll discover how bears communicate, what they eat, how they socialize, what habitat they use, what time of year they are active, what they do around their cubs and what their various vocalizations signify. This book * Stories of bear attacks, both historical and contemporary, showing how suddenly and unexpectedly bears can severely injure and kill humans * Detailed identification of each bear species, including illustrations, range maps and black and white photos * Population densities * Typical dangerous behaviors to avoid * Survival techniques. Armed with the right information and common sense, you can travel and play safely in the great American wilderness.
Erin McCloskey earned a degree in conservation biology from the University of Alberta and has worked with wildlife conservation organisations around the world. She has lived in Italy, California and is currently living in New Zealand, working as a guide and nature interpreter. She is the author of a number of books about natural history, voluntourism and places in the world that are important to her.
This book is a fantastic read, covers many bear attacks in Canada (fatal), and educates at the same time how anyone should behave around any of the bear types, as it is a different way to react for each type so quite important, while at the same time respecting the bears territory.
Mostly a summary of the research of others and certainly nothing new as far as the accounts of the attacks. I enjoyed Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance by Steven Herrera much more.