This week’s Book on the Bird Table is Remembering Bears, which was published on 10th October by Wildlife Photographers United and is the seventh in the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series; each book aims to shine a spotlight on a species that is in need of protection and further understanding.
The hardback coffee table book is a collection of 88 stunning images taken by the world’s top wildlife photographers – including Marsel van Oosten, Art Wolfe, Frans Lanting, Greg du Toit, and Daisy Gilardini – who have generously donated images in order to help protect bears in the wild. This year’s cover image was taken by Morten Jørgensen.
The aim of this edition is to raise awareness of the plight facing bears and to raise money to protect them, with all profits going towards projects working to safeguard this fascinating species. The series has already raised over £952,500 for 58 conservation projects in 24 countries, with more than 200 wildlife photographers donating images since it started in 2016.
Each turn of the page reveals another striking image of one of the eight bear species –American black bear, Andean bear, Asiatic black bear, brown bear, giant panda, polar bear, sloth bear and sun bear – revealing tender moments with family members, fierce territorial battles and the harsh reality of life as a bear.
Six out of the eight bear species are listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Vulnerable or Endangered due to pressures ranging from climate change to human-wildlife conflict. Even those bears of least concern, such as brown bears, are at risk of being lost for good in certain countries.
Founder of Remembering Wildlife Margot Raggett said: “Humans have long had a special relationship with bears – we hug them at night as children and love seeing them in story books and on screen. Yet, in the real world, they’re not always viewed with the same affection and can been seen as a nuisance or a threat.
“Some face lives of misery – as dancing bears, illegally trafficked as pets or used for medicine – or face serious threats and extinction through climate change, hunting or human-wildlife conflict.
“Through images and words, this book shines a spotlight on their diversity, beauty and resilience as well as raising awareness of their plight and raising funds for organisations passionately fighting for the future of bears.”
The foreword for the book is by award-winning wildlife filmmaker, presenter and public speaker Gordon Buchanan MBE, who describes his “enviable and unforgettable experiences” with bears.
Other contributors include Jill Robinson MBE, Founder and CEO of Animals Asia, which campaigns to raise awareness of the bear bile trade. She says the book “honours the world’s remarkable bear species”.
Actor, comedian, writer and animal rights champion Ricky Gervais wrote the back cover endorsement, where he warns we have to stand up for bears or lose them forever.
As the quote from Mahatma Ghandi on the inside front cover states: “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
Let us strive to be great with the help of this book.
Further information about Remembering Wildlife can be found here .
To find out more about the projects that Remembering Wildlife has already funded, click here
Copies of Remembering Bears can be ordered at www.rememberingwildlife.com or from book stores including Amazon, Waterstones, Foyles and the Book Depository.
About Remembering Wildlife
Remembering Wildlife exists to raise awareness of the plight facing wildlife, as well as funds to protect it. Famous supporters of the series include Russell Crowe, Michelle Pfeiffer, Chris Martin, Pierce Brosnan and many more.
The series of books was created by wildlife photographer Margot Raggett after she saw a poached elephant in Kenya and set out to make the most beautiful book on a species ever seen. She persuaded the world’s best wildlife photographers to donate an image and Remembering Elephants came out in 2016.
At the time, Margot Raggett thought the book would be a one-off. But her vision created a series and there are now six published books in the Remembering Wildlife collection (the others are: Remembering Rhinos, Remembering Great Apes, Remembering Lions, Remembering Cheetahs and Remembering African Wild Dogs). With Remembering Bears, the collection will grow to seven books.
Remembering Bears
£43.36
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