Synopses & Reviews
Polar bears are creatures of paradox: They are white bears whose skin is black; massive predators who can walk almost silently; Arctic residents whose major problem is not staying warm, but keeping cool. Fully grown they can measure 10 feet and weigh close to 2,000 pounds, but at birth they are just 20 ounces. Creatures that may wander thousands of miles over the course of a year, they begin life in a snowdrift.
Human encounters with these legendary beasts are cause for both excitement and apprehension. Tales throughout history describe the ferocity of polar bear attacks on humans; but human hunting of polar bears has exacted a far larger toll, obliging Arctic nations to try to protect their regionandrsquo;s iconic species before itandrsquo;s too late.
Now, however, another threat to the polar bearsandrsquo; survival has emerged, one that is steadily removing sea ice and the life it supports. Without this habitat, polar bears cannot exist. The Great White Bear celebrates the story of this unique species. Through a blend of history, both natural and human, through myth and reality and observations both personal and scientific, Kieran Mulvaney masterfully provides a context for readers to consider the polar bear, its history, its life, and its uncertain fate.
Synopsis
Through a blend of history, both natural and human, through myth and reality and observations both personal and scientific, Mulvaney masterfully provides a context for readers to consider the polar bear, its history, its life, and its uncertain fate.
Synopsis
An up-close look at virtually everything interesting, important, or culturally relevant about the birth, life, and death of the polar bear.
About the Author
KIERAN MULVANEY is the author of At the Ends of the Earth: A History of the Polar Regions and The Whaling Season: The Struggle to Stop Commercial Whaling. He has traveled extensively in the Arctic and Antarctic. He has written for the Washington Post Magazine, the Guardian, New Scientist, and BBC Wildlife and is a correspondent for Discovery News and Reuters.
Table of Contents
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Journey 1
Becoming 11
Bear 33
Ice 54
Life 79
Encounters 106
Churchill 145
Melt 180
Future 215
Notes 221
Annotated Bibliography 230
Index 241