Shadow of the bear : travels in vanishing wilderness

Book

Shadow of the bear : travels in vanishing wilderness / Brian Payton.

Payton, Brian, 1966- (Author).

Summary:

From the Publisher: Around the world in pursuit of the beast we fear, revere, abuse, and adore. We've been meeting bears in the wilderness, and in our dreams, since the dawn of human history. Celebrated in art and myth since we began drawing on the walls of caves, they cast a long shadow over our collective subconscious. Wherever bears endure, they are an indicator of the health of their ecosystem. Their decline-some to the edge of extinction-foretells a bigger story: that of our planet's peril. In a series of remarkable journeys, Brian Payton travels the world in search of the eight remaining bear species. Along the way, he confronts poachers in the jungles of Cambodia, witnesses the cruelty of the bear bile trade in China, and delves into the politics of panda sex. From the reclusive spectacled bears of Peru to the man-eating sloth bears of India, Payton captures the power and beauty of these fascinating creatures while exploring their unique place within very different cultures. Vivid characters, exotic landscapes, and deft storytelling make for an unforgettable trek down the braided path of bear and human history.

Record details

ISBN: 1596911980 (hdbk.)
ISBN: 9781596911987 (hdbk.)
Physical Description: 304 pages : illustrations, maps ; 22 cm.
Edition: 1st U.S. ed.
Publisher: New York : Bloomsbury : 2006.

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:: Includes bibliographical references (p. [295]-301).
Formatted Contents Note:: Maps -- Introduction : A sleuth of bears -- 1. Under the Mahua tree : Chhattisgarh, India -- 2. National treasures : Sichuan, People's Republic of China -- 3. The blessed curse of Chaparri : Department of Lambayeque, Peru -- 4. Laws of the jungle : Kingdom of Cambodia -- 5. Waiting for winter : Manitoba, Canada -- 6. A shepherd's tale : Lazio & Abruzzo, Italy -- 7. The skull chamber : Ardèche Gorges, France -- 8. Cure for the mountain sickness : Colorado Plateau, United States of America -- Author's note -- Selected bibliography -- Acknowledgments.