Grizzly bear science and the art of a wilderness life Forty years of research in the Flathead Valley

As a graduate student in 1978, the author and his then girlfriend packed up their VW Beetle and drove out into the Canadian wilderness to scout sites for bear sightings. Little did they know that this would begin a 40-year saga, remarkable both for their unprecedented, groundbreaking research about the grizzly bear, North America's most common bear species, and for the lives they eventually forged as a married couple with two kids living in a log cabin deep in bear country. Sophisticated scientific observations, ecological surveys, and evolutionary histories mingle with live-action accounts of bear encounters, minutely detailed experiences with bear poop, and anecdotes about routine family life (especially during floods, avalanches, and forest fires). Bears like Elspeth, Blanche, and Agatha become characters too, making their largely human-caused endings that much more heartbreaking. Finally, McLellan assesses the chances of bear survival in the face of human encroachment and climate change. Thanks to their adaptability, the grizzlies' future seems secure for now, unlike many other large predators. There's much to be learned from studying these often-misunderstood creatures.

Wildlife ecologist McLellan recaps his 43 years of research on the grizzly bears who roam the mountains of British Columbia, near Glacier National Park in Montana. By interlacing the bears' narratives with stories of his family (his wife and their two children accompanied him during years of field research) he conveys the excitement, self-sufficiency, and wonder of living with these usually reclusive omnivores. But the real value of this book may be McClellan's explanation of methods of studying wild animals in their ecosystems and the effects of human encroachment on their survival as individuals and species. He describes the techniques of collaring, tracking, and observing grizzlies, as well as how to design a study that answers questions scientifically, when so many variables are outside of the ecologist's control. This first-person account opens up a detailed understanding of grizzly bears' day-to-day lives: their habits, diet, cub-rearing strategies, and hibernation. McClellan's research also confirms that grizzlies' biggest threat and most prevalent cause of death is human overreaction to their perceived danger, plus human practices that attract and habituate bears to human life. VERDICT Wildlife enthusiasts will get a front-row seat to the adventure and science of studying grizzly bears, while learning a great deal along the way.--Wade Lee-Smith