Four Fifths a Grizzly

April 15, 2021
A noted wildlife biologist ponders what it means to be human in a time when the natural world is disappearing. "I don't claim to know how grizzly bears think. But this seldom stops me from trying to imagine what the bear I have in sight is going to do in a given situation and then compare that with what the bear actually does." So writes Chadwick, who has spent many hours in the company of bears, which are cumbersomely large in captivity but generally lean, and very fast, in the wild. Somewhat in the vein of previous environmental writers, Rachel Carson and Loren Eiseley in particular, Chadwick has a big-picture view of nature, recounting his childhood days spent with a microscope, "his magical gadget," which afforded him the knowledge that most organisms on the planet can't be seen but must be appreciated. In his subsequent explorations of DNA, he connects us to our genetic antecedents--grizzly bears and apes, to be sure, but also "avocados, ants, and aardvarks," which comprise "our deep heritage, an old, enduring kinship as big as the living world." That shared ancestry ought to inspire us to be better citizens of the planet. Yet, "according to a 2018 summary in the Journal of Mammalogy, the exact species count for present-day mammals came to 6,495. However, 96 appear to have gone missing (extinct) lately." Regarding many nonhuman species in the Anthropocene, "the chances of survival through the rest of this century range from poor to zilch." Engagingly written and richly illustrated with vivid photos, the book offers the hope nonetheless that humans might reverse course. To this end, the author offers examples of successful recoveries of species and habitats, with the thought that "we really can save a whole lot in a hurry." Of great appeal to natural scientists and environmentalists alike.

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