Backyard Bears: Conservation, Habitat Changes, and the Rise of Urban Wildlife (Scientists in the Field)

Gr 4-8—Cherrix accompanies four wildlife biologists who are part of the five-year North Carolina Urban/Suburban Black Bear Study centered in Asheville, NC. As the black bear population rebounded from a critical low in the 1970s, conservation efforts resulted in increased human-bear interactions. To learn about bears' habits, scientists fit bears with a radio collar and GPS tracking device and check on them periodically to observe their physical condition. Such field work requires patience and stamina to collect data to help answer questions about how bear behavior, diet, and size may change in urban settings. One unexpected finding is the tolerance most Asheville residents exhibit toward the increased bear population. Cherrix offers brief accounts of other human-animal relations, from leopards in Mumbai to wild boars in Berlin to feral chickens in Hawaii. She also includes short interviews with the scientists, tips for dealing with bears, explanations of GPS tracking, and related topics. Numerous photos accompany the engaging text. Another recent book on urban wildlife, Michelle Mulder's Going Wild: Helping Nature Thrive in Cities, stresses children's involvement. VERDICT A useful introduction to a field of scientific study that will only grow in importance. A fine addition to nonfiction collections.—Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University Library, Mankato

"The book capably combines the you-are-there immediacy of charting bear behaviors with surprising facts about bears (NC bears don't do full hibernation; bear pregnancy involves "delayed implantation," which means months between the conception and the implantation of the embryo) and illuminating information about how humans can best coexist with bears."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books​