Grizzly Bears

Victor Clulow is a professor of zoology at Laurentian University.

Savage has produced, by clear and informative prose and well-chosen
photographs, a book sensitizing the reader to the plight, the rights,
and the delights of the grizzly bear.

An introductory chapter, covering the place of the grizzly in Eurasian
and America mythology and history (and a passing mention of the bear in
prehistory), is followed by a detailed account of the animal’s natural
history (reproduction, growth, behavior, ecology, diet, and so on), and
a moving and informative section on its persecution, status, and
prospects for survival. The plea implicit in this last section—that
efforts should be made to ensure the grizzly’s survival—is
refreshingly free of the cutseyness, sentimentality, and cant that
frequently mar books on threatened wildlife. Savage argues that,
although grizzlies can be dangerous and must be respected, they do need
large areas and any land set aside for them serves many functions apart
from providing a refuge.

This book has a generous format (23 by 30 cm), and many of the
illustrations are full-page or larger. The photographs, the titles and
quotations that accompany them, and the text that binds them are well
balanced.

Altogether, an admirable book that informs and persuades. Recommended
for all levels of readership, from children, who will be attracted to
the pictures, to the serious-minded, who will find the suggested reading
list (which includes references to works as recent as 1989) useful.