Books : Among the Bears: Raising Orphaned Cubs in the Wild
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 599.78515
EAN: 9780805073003
ISBN: 0805073000
Label: Holt Paperbacks
Manufacturer: Holt Paperbacks
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 304
Publication Date: March 01, 2003
Publisher: Holt Paperbacks
Studio: Holt Paperbacks
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Editorial Review:
Amazon.com Review:
When naturalist Kilham was asked to take in two orphaned black bear cubs, the conventional wisdom was that he would end up with 200-pound brutes too dependent to leave home. So Kilham decided to try his own unconventional method--he raised them in their natural habitat, surrounded by the wild bear-filled woods of New Hampshire. As their bear mother, he was given an unprecedented look into the lives of bears and what he observed turns bear stereotypes on their head. Black bears exhibit behaviors thought to be found only in humans and great apes, such as an intricate system of communication and cooperation, insight, planning, deception, and even ethics, like fair play, empathy, and altruism (qualities not found in apes). Kilham, who has now raised 26 cubs, is an intrepid bear mom, and a humble and delightful storyteller. This is an irresistible story of some of the most endearing rogues ever encountered. --Lesley Reed
Product Description:
In the spring of 1993, Benjamin Kilham, a naturalist who lives in the woodlands of New Hampshire, began raising a pair of orphaned wild black bears. The experience changed his life.
While spending thousands of hours with the cubs, Kilham discovered unknown facets of bear behavior that have radically revised our understanding of animal behavior. Now widely recognized for his contributions to wildlife science, Kilham reveals that bears are altruistic and cooperate with unrelated, even unknown individuals, while our closer relatives, the supposedly more highly evolved chimps, cooperate only within troops of recognizable members. Beyond the natural history, he introduces individual bears who become enthralling and memorable characters.
Average Rating: 
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Kilham's experience and Gray's writing offer excellent insight into bears' instinctive knowledge by describing how young orphaned cubs in Kilham's care learn how to become wild bears. I reread the book immediately after concluding it so I could take full advantage its information. I recommend Among the Bears to anyone who deals with these amazing animals professionally or informally. Motivation, communication, and dispersal are well covered in a truly understandable and engrossing manner.
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I'm only half way through the book but I can tell you it is difficult to put down. As a wildlife Rehabilitator I find Benjamin Kilham's book informative yet fun to read.
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I just finished reading Among the Bears and I think Benjamin did a great job at describing the bears body language, and his explenation of what their sounds and gestures meant are superb,,,I have seen a lot of bears in the last 40 years and have seen several of these gestures..This book starts out a little slow but soon picks up and then I could not stop reading, This book does tell it like it really is in the bears world good and bad
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I've never been more disappointed in a book and I think this is the first book I've ever actually returned. I didn't want this man to get a single penny from me. My concerns were immediately raised when I read that he was a gunmaker and when he made the comment "I reached out to poke the radio on to a country western station. I like to listen to songs with lyrics I can understand". So I immediately look up bear hunting in the index and am soon horrified to read that he supports hunting and even ... Read More
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This book is basically a primary source about black bears, a subject that, as the author points out, has received spotty attention. "Among the Bears" partially remedies this neglect: it is rich in anecdote, modest yet persuasive in analyses.
This book has many small, satisfying pleasures to it, not the least of which is the idea of a large, stereotypically manly guy like Kilham being a mother to these bears. And he is an amazing mother, patient, wise and tireless. He always lends his bears an ear, ... Read More
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