Do (Not) Feed the Bears : The Fitful History of Wildlife and Tourists in Yellowstone / Alice Wondrak Biel.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Wondrak Biel, Alice, author.

Series:

Constitutional thinking.

Constitutional Thinking Series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bears--Feeding and feeds--Yellowstone National Park--History.

Bears.

Bears--Effect of human beings on--Yellowstone National Park--History.

Captive wild animals--Feeding and feeds--Yellowstone National Park--History.

Captive wild animals.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (202 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Lawrence, Kansas : University Press of Kansas, [2006]

Summary:

The story of Yellowstone Park and its wildlife, particularly bears, is intrinsically intertwined with tourists. Since the park's inception, people have traveled there to view Old Faithful and see a bear. When national parks were new, feeding grizzly and black bears was part of the charm. But once roadside feedings were de rigueur for tourists, the exchanges turned out to be detrimental to both wildlife and humans. The animals became dependent on a foreign, unhealthy food source, and people were getting mauled. Over the course of her clarifying history, Biel writes with conviction about the influence of various park superintendents, bear-management strategies, and changing ecopolitical influences, particularly the economic impact of the tourist trade. Years of training the public to regard bears as neither cute nor cuddly but as wild animals magnificent in their own right and deserving respect appear to have improved the welfare of wildlife in the park. Yet each generation must be educated anew, and Biel's book is a valuable contribution to that effort. --Pamela Crossland Copyright 2006 Booklist.

Contents:

Zoos, feeding grounds, and roadsides: the wild yet tame bear

Admitting you have a problem: making the dangerous bear

Funny bears and TV stars

Science versus scenery: the wilderness bear

The politics of peril

Today's Yellowstone bear

Conclusion: the post-enlightenment bear.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 151-175) and index.

ISBN:

9780700637294

070063729X

OCLC:

1453720181