Topic:

I am interested in researching the interactions between bears and people in North America. I've always loved bears, from teddy bears to grizzlies (at a distance), and I want to know more about how bears live in the wild, what happens when they invade town dumpsters, how they are treated in captivity, and what their interactions are with people who hike and camp in the bears' wildernesses.

Key Words:

The key words I used are: "bears and zoos," "bears and wilderness," "bears and people," "bears and circuses," and "bears and garbage."

Bibliography List:

1. Algee, B. "There was a bear." The Zoo Review, Vol. 3, March, 1990: 33-34.

  • Annotation: This is a nostalgic story about a beloved old bear in the San Diego Zoo, that includes three photos of the bear, Algernon, and his descendants.
  • Evaluation: The Zoo Review is published by the National Zoological Society, so it should be reliable. Some of the information on Algernon's diet is interesting. I also liked the part about how zookeepers tried to get Algernon to exercise--no luck! It also has some useful bibliography of other articles that I want to find and read.

2. Anon. "Spring time in the Rockies." Fauna Journal, February 21, 1988: 18-32. [bear.va.etexts.org] (20 May 2001).

Annotation: This presents a bear's view of the pleasures of spring in the mountains, and the irritations of having hikers and campers bothering one just because the weather's turned nice. The author is a strong advocate of keeping people out of the national parks. Included are several useful tables about spring temperatures related to the density of campers and which sorts of cars contain the most delicious foods. Important article for campers.

Evaluation: Although I enjoyed the article, I don't really think it is supported by research. However, it's not every day that you can read a bear's essay on campers, so it's worth keeping, if only for a charming example or two.

3. Hubbard, M. "There was a Bear in my Cupboard." Big Bear Information Page. 1994. [cal.bruin.porridge.org] (22 July 1995).

  • Annotation: A little old lady complains about the cost of feeding a bear who lived in her cupboard and ate all her groceries until her cupboard was bare. Included are photos of the bear, the bare cupboard, and a table on the nutritional requirements of bears versus little old ladies. I will probably want to use this one in my study of bears' eating habits.
  • Evaluation: Another article that is not particularly scholarly. All sorts of weird stuff shows up on this Big Bear Information Page. Nonetheless, the nutritional information is interesting. I need to see if I can find supporting evidence in a more scholarly source.

4. Panda, E. "Are Pandas True Bears?" 1999. [brown.bear.talk.com] (12 December 2001).

  • Annotation: Mr. Panda argues that even if pandas are not exactly genetic bears, they are spiritual bears and deserve to be treated with all the respect of true bears.
  • Evaluation: This article includes a lot of silly stuff about panda bears being better than teddy bears for children's toys. Rather pandocentric, I think, but what can you expect from a discussion group run by bears?

5. Zinnia, Susan B., Ph.D. "Nutritional Requirements of Pandas in the Wild." USDA Review, January 10, 2001: 25-70. [http://www.USDA.gov] (16 June 2001).

  • Annotation: Finally I've found a scholarly article on panda diet in the wild. Bamboo is the mainstay of their diet, and it takes them all day to eat enough to stay healthy and happy. Curiously, their intestines and teeth are more suited to a carnivore's diet. I wonder why these cute bears went veggie?

  • Evaluation: I will need to find some other material on panda diet in zoos. I went to the National Zoo in May, 2001, and the panda keeper told me that they used to feed meat to pandas, but it made them fat, lazy and mean! I would like to find a print source for this, too. However, this article has an impeccable source and is very current.

And so on until you have at least ten entries on your topic.