Bears, By Bernd Brunner
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.As this delightful but often discomfiting book shows, "it has been the bear's fate to serve as a yardstick for humans". Moving with a brisk tread between actual bear behaviour and the myths and tales that partner it, Brunner reminds us - with dry wit and great illustrations - that we get bears wrong. Above all, they're just not that into us.
All the legends of man-bear interaction serve to hide a profound bearish "indifference". Pursue them too closely, and they may just care enough for a lethal attack - as the "grizzly man", Timothy Treadwell, found in Alaska in 2003. In the past, we had safer ursine fantasies. Not unusually for his age, Earl Siward of Northumberland (died 1055) claimed to be a descendant of bears.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments