Admired for its majesty and often feared for its strength, speed, and
supposed aggressiveness, the grizzly bear was once unchallenged as the
great apex predator of the American West. But by the 1970s, hunting and
habitat loss had reduced its numbers in the lower 48 states to a mere
800 animals occupying just two percent of the bear's former range. Where
the Grizzly Walks assesses the bear's current status and its uncertain
future at the beginning of the 21st century. Focusing on the wildlife
professionals who struggle to achieve a balance among the varied
interests of government agencies, private landowners, politicians, and
environmentalists, the author illuminates the enormous challenges in
making sensible public policy for the management of a high-profile,
threatened species--and one of the last great symbols of the American
wilderness.