

Dr. Chuck Jonkel building an igloo
Heroes & Myths
Louisa Willcox about Heroes and Myths
Founder of Grizzly Times
We are blessed with a wealth of stories about bears and humans and our intertwined lives. Bears are more than cyphers, numbers on radio collars, or subjects of the latest gee-whiz models. They are more than symbols of traits such as resilience, intelligence, and power – or violence and ferocity. They are woven into the fabric of our imaginations.
The bear’s future is up to us and the stories we choose to tell. This section focuses on heroes (mostly unsung), success stories and myths about grizzly bears. “Heroes” include people who made significant contributions to grizzly bear research and/or conservation. “Success stories” celebrate effective efforts to co-exist with grizzlies. “Bear Tales” includes fun stories about the griz, and links to some interesting podcasts. We welcome any suggestions you may have about stories we should add to this section!
“Myths” include stories of our ancient ties to bears. Some, like the “Woman Who Married a Bear,” have been told for thousands of years throughout the northern Hemisphere.