The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center

Grizzly Bears at The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, Montana

I consider myself extremely fortunate to have visited The Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, situated at West Yellowstone, Montana. 

This is a paradise for all Grizzly lovers. As I entered the Center, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that 2 huge forms were lounging around in the hot sun. The size and magnificence of these creatures was truly jaw-dropping. To see a pair of immensely powerful creatures indulge in casual play is truly a sight to behold! I discovered these bears to be Sam and Illie, the twin brother-sister pair. Sam, weighing more than 1000 pounds and Illie, at 800 pounds, are truly giants in every sense of the word. 

In addition to Sam and illie, there were couple more set of bears that frequented the display enclosures. While I do not remember the names of the other bears, I do remember their playfulness and the amazing intelligence that makes these bears so curious about their surroundings. I remember the bears using their well-documented sense of smell to explore and analyze the world around them. 

It is a testament to the charisma of the Grizzly bear that I was so overwhelmed with awe at the sight of these magnificent creatures that I do not remember most of what I saw about their neighbors at the center: The wolves. 

My visit to The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center remains one of the cornerstones of my life-long fascination with Nature, as I discovered for the first time in person one of the most magnificent animals on Earth: Grizzly Bear. 

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Charlie Russell, The Bear Man of Kamchatka

Charlie Russell is a Canadian naturalist, who has had a lifelong fascination with Grizzly Bears. His father, Andy Russell was himself a renowned conservationist and author of many books, including Grizzly Country.

Charlie believes that man can peacefully co-exist with Grizzly Bears. In addition to using an electric fence around his house in the wilderness, Charlie uses just pepper spray to prevent any untoward encounter with the bears. To quote Charlie: “...they are not unpredictable..they are predictable..it's just that we just do not know how to predict them...”.

The documentary is shot in South Kamchatka Sanctuary, one of Russia's protected habitats and a true spectacle to behold. Misty mountains surround beautiful lakes and Charlie has set up his study center right in the middle of this beautiful oasis.

Charlie's study center

After the end of Cold War in Russia, hunters and poachers killed bears indiscriminately, resulting in lot of orphaned cubs. Charlie decided to launch a pioneering project to recover orphaned cubs in the wild.

The documentary focuses on the two five month old male cubs adopted by Charlie. His typical day starts with preparing their breakfast (mixture of sunflower seeds and sugar). This is followed by Charlie taking the cubs out to explore and indulge in some fun time. Charlie is an expert fisherman and teaches them the crucial skill of fishing that they need to master in order to be successful in the wild.

Charlie and his adopted cub sport fishing

Charlie’s love for these bears is evident in the way he patiently guides them to catch fish and protects them from dangers such as aggressive adult bears. Adult bears are a particular danger to the cubs and Charlie needs to be on his toes all the time to come to their rescue. This can be quite tough for Charlie, considering his advanced age.

What differentiates Charlie’s work with the bears from a Timothy Treadwell is the amount of respect and understanding, Charlie has for these giants. Charlie cares for his cubs, as a surrogate mother would for her offspring. He never takes the bears for granted and treats them with the necessary care, always having pepper spray handy, should things go out of hand. The documentary even contains an example of Charlie using the pepper spray to save his adopted cubs from an aggressive adult male bear.

Charlie Russell with one of his adopted cubs

Charlie's efforts have helped turned the South Kamchatka Sanctuary into a World Heritage Site. I am currently reading Charlie’s book Grizzly Heart. The book documents the efforts of Charlie in setting up his study center. I will post a separate entry to review the book.

Here’s wishing many more years of healthy life to Charlie Russell, as he continues his exemplary work with one of my most favorite animals on the planet: Grizzly Bear.

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Image Source: ARD

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