Posted on 05/13/2005 5:56:02 PM PDT by dukeman
May 15-21, 2005 is national Bear Awareness Week. This event is being held to educate the public about the integral role that bears play in nature as well as the importance of respecting biological diversity.
There are eight species of bears around the world and here in North America we are lucky enough to have three of them: polar bear (Ursus maritimus); grizzly (brown) bear (Ursus arctos); and the American black bear (Ursus americanus). The International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA) maintains an excellent web site with additional information regarding the other five species of bears from around the world.
View a state-by-state Schedule of Events for Bear Awareness Week 2005.
Asheville, North Carolina
Western North Carolina Nature Center
The Western North Carolina Nature Center in Asheville, North Carolina, will have a bear artifact touch table with a description of Bear Awareness Week, a make-and-take bear mask arts and crafts activity and a bear-related coloring station. Environmental enrichment demonstrations with our two black bears and keeper talks will be held Monday through Friday at 11:00 a.m. during Bear Awareness Week.
Winston, OR
Wildlife Safari Park
May 16 - May 22
In celebration of Bear Awareness Week, the park will offer information tables in the lower village, which will feature polar bear, black bear and brown bear information available for visitors to take with them. Docents and keepers will be available to talk about the bears and answer questions. On varying days and times throughout the week, black bear and brown bear enrichments will take place. The park’s five black bears and four brown bears are looking forward to this special week. Come celebrate with them!
San Francisco, California
San Francisco Zoo
May 15-22, 2005
How do we care for the Zoo's bears? How can you help bear conservation? Join us along with Defenders of Wildlife and American Zoo and Aquarium Association Bear Taxon Advisory Group for a celebration of the "bear necessities" in support of bear conservation. With our new grizzly bear cubs, this year's event will be "beary" special! Check out amazing biofacts and bear diets and learn about bear behavior. Daily activities include Animal Keeper talks, crafts and animal enrichment activities. Free with Zoo admission.
Eatonville, Washington
Northwest Trek Wildlife Park
During Bear Awareness Week, the park will feature informational placards, bear craft projects, and bear videos.
On May 21st, special events will be featured in the bear exhibits. In the black bear exhibit, an unsafe bear camp will be set up inside the one-acre forested bear enclosure. In this tent, all the rules for setting up a safe camp will be broken. For example, aromatic food will be left unattended and the distances between the kitchen and the tent and food will not be minimized. At this exhibit, zookeepers will explain why this camp is dangerous and correct camping practices. Then, the bears will be released into the camp, educating visitors firsthand about these unsafe practices. [For the sake of science and bear self-esteem, some visitors will have to be eaten]
The grizzly bear exhibit will offer an example of correct camping practices, featuring bear bags and bear resistant canisters. Zookeepers will explain the effectiveness of these measures while grizzly bears are left with the containers.
I'm aware there are bears so I keep the lid on the trash dumpster.
By hibernating! ;)
Defecating in the woods.
Bare nekkid.
Is the Pope Catholic?
I'll be keeping a close eye on my pic-a-nic basket.
I'll do my best to be fuzzy and roly-poly.
I can't bear these types of puns. They will only lead you to bruin.
Im gonna take my Vacation and walk around bare all week ! in honor of nature .
I'm going to the Bear Week Parade and attend the downtown festival, which events include rummaging through garbage cans, a raw-fish eating contest and a roaring competition. There will be a flyover of the Purple Angels [the Blue Angels were already booked] and a work-up baseball game in which everyone has to play in a bears costume.
Isn't this what everybody does?
My contribution to Bear Awareness Week: they're dangerous, they're ravenous, they're a menace.
Kill them. Eat them. Display their hides.
Bears. Who needs 'em?
I have never had a bear steak, I would love to get one and grill it to celebrate this great event.
I like the term "Wild Beast Feast".
*groan*
There have been no bears in my area in about 100 years.
I think next week is Doorknob Awareness Week.
Well, in my locale, Bear Awareness Week is best observed by observing bear-sign, and avoiding the bears themselves.
Especially the grizzlies.
Fuzzy Wuzzie wazabear.
Fuzzy Wuzzie hadnohair.
Fuzzy Wuzzie wazzunt fuzzie, wazzie?
Doncha' worry! I'll spend it!
When bears are seen approaching in the distance,
Make up your mind at once between retreat and armed resistance.A gentleman remained to fight,
With what result for him?
The bear, with ill-concealed delight,
Devoured him limb by limb.Another fellow turned and ran:
He ran extremely hard.
The bear was faster than the man,
And beat him by a yard..
-- Belloc.
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