Bears play hockey. But it's not all fun and games.
posted by weston on Oct 24, 2009 - 34 comments

The Polar Bear/Grizzly Hybrid: The Ursid Hybrid cross has been attested since a hunter (with a Polar Bear license, and yes, they can be had) shot one in 2006 on Banks Island in Canada's Northwest Territories. Climate change may also play a role, causing an increasing overlap in range and mating season. Polar Bears do show a surprising resilience despite the overwhelming, increasing threats to their survival. Hunting policy itself may play a role, reducing the number of males and driving the females to mate out of season and range. The Native Inuit hunters who are permitted to hunt Polar Bears for subsistence (enabling the sport hunt, which may or may not benefit the Native economy, leading many Natives to support sport hunting) have come into sharp conflict with outside environmentalists. Welcome to the new Far North.
posted by fourcheesemac on Aug 24, 2009 - 38 comments

Mykle Hansen (previously) has now shot a public service video about being eaten by a bear, to promote the book version of the podcast that's entertained many a MeFite. [more inside]
posted by nímwunnan on Dec 2, 2008 - 21 comments

"You know, we spent $3 million to study the DNA of bears in Montana. I don't know if that was a criminal issue or a paternal issue..." (previously) The infamous bear study bought up by McCain in the first debate is one of his favourite pork barrel examples, but little actual information is given about the study. Here is the website giving details about the project, with more info, a quick fact sheet and a podcast. This is one of the rare times when a candidate will air an opinion on science in a popular setting.... [more inside]
posted by scodger on Sep 29, 2008 - 129 comments

The latest issue of Yellowstone Science quarterly is devoted to 5 articles chronicling the history of the management of grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park, from the 1950s era "garbage dump bears," to listing as an endangered species, to de-listing as endangered, to current management. Many excellent photos, maps, charts and graphs make this a great resource for people interested in the fate of grizzlies in the lower 48 states. Part 1 of the issue. Part 2. [links to PDF files] (via)
posted by paulsc on Jul 22, 2008 - 5 comments

Northern Divide Grizzly Bear Project ― the grizzly bear has had a threatened status for more than 30 years now. Several zones have been established in the northwestern U.S. and Canada to monitor recovery. Kate Kendall of the USGS led a project to investigate recovery through DNA monitoring of the bears. Since the funds dried up, Kate and her team have used remote cameras to capture some interesting footage of bears and other wildlife.
posted by netbros on Jun 30, 2008 - 9 comments

Kennan Ward Nature-Wildlife Photography -- “Being a nature-wildlife photographer is a demanding job … but all the hardship is forgotten when I make eye-to-eye contact with a wild animal, or experience the moment when a window in the clouds opens up, highlighting a landscape … I feel honored to be able to bring the inspiring beauty of nature to others.” [more inside]
posted by netbros on Apr 29, 2008 - 4 comments

Written in 1967 by Bob Dylan, it was originally quiet, lowkey... and vaguely menacing. But when Jimi Hendrix redefined it the following year, even Dylan knew that the song had changed forever.

Since then, it's been covered (over and over again), praised almost as often, analyzed, referenced, and, of course, found to be encoded in the minds of Cylons.

Originally released 40 years ago, erm, yesterday: All Along the Watchtower.
posted by John Kenneth Fisher on Dec 28, 2007 - 41 comments

The hippies next door are installing solar panels. Me, I'm waiting for my Toshiba Home Nuclear Reactor. I'm no early adopter, either; up in Galena the grizzlies have been keeping their dens warm and hot for several years. Thinking of becoming the first nuclear power on your block? Lots of bullet points, links, and some pretty pix and diagrams in this .pdf and this wiki. (Via Instapundit.)
posted by jfuller on Dec 22, 2007 - 60 comments

Bears in ill-fitting hats. [Via.]
posted by tepidmonkey on Dec 13, 2007 - 32 comments

Help! A Bear Is Eating Me! A podcast of Mykle Hansen's comic novel. One chapter a week, read by the author. A first person narrative, as told by an asshole, as he is eaten by a bear. [more inside]
posted by moonmilk on Sep 12, 2007 - 16 comments

Move over Village People. Introducing Bearforce1 from Holland... the first gay bear man group. They are clearly having fun.
posted by miss lynnster on Aug 16, 2007 - 40 comments

The Japanese Trailer to Kokoro Scan. Japanese game trailers always seem pretty interesting and fun. And, well, most often more-or-less nonsensical. This is for the new game Kokoro Scan, which, um, looks like it might be a dating sim of some sort? Maybe? The animation and segues are pretty interesting, and, though it's 6 minutes -- awfully long for a trailer, particularly one sans any gameplay (I think) -- it's interesting/off-the-wall enough to be engaging. What do cartoon nipples, pixellated white things and bananas have in common? (via)
posted by Rev. Syung Myung Me on Aug 3, 2007 - 13 comments

Alaska's calling Yoooooooooooou! Not interested in that Free Land in North Dakota or Kansas? Anderson, Alaska is giving away 26 lots on a first come, first serve basis. No gas station, no grocery store, no traffic lights, but grizzley bears abound!
posted by Secret Life of Gravy on Mar 17, 2007 - 19 comments

Superbowl in three minutes. (I love you Dallas Clark and Bobby Sanders.)
posted by thirteenkiller on Feb 6, 2007 - 28 comments

Global warming is to blame for the disapearing act of Polar Bears in the arctic. After years of so called "Scientific proof" the Bush administration finally admits they were wrong.
posted by PreteFunkEra on Dec 28, 2006 - 52 comments

ThreatDown! Scientists and other liberals reporting BEARS no longer hibernating in Spain! Global warming deniers, however, determined to continue their hibernation.
posted by orthogonality on Dec 24, 2006 - 45 comments

I researched and put an infopiece together after recently learning of bile bears here on Metafilter. Even as an animal professional, I was unaware of the existence of bile bears. Now I know: Bile Bears are live moon bears that are turned into living crated "bile kegs," the bear's bile being extracted by means of a surgically implanted tube and used to treat conditions as varied as gallstones, kidney disorder, and (of course) impotence. After the long-suffering bear dies, the creature's body parts are then sold off individually for further monetary gain. Indeed, it is an appalling practice, but worse I learned the practice is spreading, and in fact demand for bear products is now affecting the bear population of North America, as North American bears are being illegally hunted and harvested for their parts to be used domestically and abroadin the preparation of traditional Chinese medicine.
posted by mongonikol on Nov 30, 2006 - 43 comments

The Stephen Colbert "On Notice Board" Generator
posted by ColdChef on Aug 9, 2006 - 59 comments

Grizzly Bears frolicking at McNeill Falls, Alaska...live. It requires Real Player, sorry, but it's really quite something - the sight and sound of a Grizzly feeding frenzy that happens each summer here.
posted by Flashman on Jul 22, 2006 - 28 comments

Wrestling Bears
No, not this [NSFW].
Or this.
Sort of like this.
Or this, in a steel cage ("C'MON BEAR!").
And then there's the history.
posted by StopMakingSense on Jul 10, 2006 - 24 comments

"Our society really doesn't deal well with the whole dying process." No, it's not a hoax. Through the magic of soft teddy bears, pillows, and plush dogs or cats, you can hold your deceased loved one, thanks to Huggable Urns. It's founder, Alexandra, Lachini was inspired to form the enterprise after her recently departed father spoke to her. "All I wanted to do was hold him again, but the urn was hard and impersonal." For less than $100, her solution can be yours too.
posted by motherfather on Jul 5, 2006 - 34 comments

Превед! Russia's newest internet craze involves a painting called Bear Surprise [NSFW] by New York artist/musician John Lurie. "Превед", or "preved", is an intentional misspelling of "privet", or "hello" in Russian. There's a month-old Livejournal community dedicated to the meme and even a branded range of condoms. [Via freewilliamsburg.com.]
posted by tapeguy on Mar 22, 2006 - 44 comments

Yet another part of childhood gone. Stan Berenstain passed away today. [MI]
posted by bluedaniel on Nov 28, 2005 - 66 comments

The US Fed wants the Yellowstone Grizzly Bears taken off the list of threatened species. (No, not those Grizzlies, heh.) Through very serious recovery efforts the Grizzly bear population in the area around Yellowstone National Park is being considered "recovered", such that they can be removed from the protection of the endangered species act. Some fear that this move doesn't address the issue of where the bears actually live, though it needs to be pointed out that hunting and killing bears in the Park is prohibited. Some are celebrating this as a great move by the DoI. Some of America's friends overseas don't appear to be any too happy about this. The proposal only covers those bears in and around Yellowstone, but the Grizzly recovery in other areas remains slowed by illegal killing, and stupidity. Can we call this a success for the Endangered Species Act? Or is the ESA itself endangered? Of course, this post wouldn't be complete without the headcase who blames environmentalists for keeping him from baiting the bears.
posted by Wulfgar! on Nov 15, 2005 - 27 comments

The first bear kill of the Maryland hunting season was made by an 8-year-old girl, notes Joel Achenbach's blog. It's quite an interesting news story that makes one wonder what values many of us are teaching our kids these days. Just as interesting, however, are the comments, which at least in one case deals with gender stereotyping: I think that it is important for our kids and especially our girls to experience life and if part of life is killing game, then so be it. After all, if our girls just sit in their little bubble wearing pretty dresses and playing Bach on the piano, we may just end up with lots of Condi Rice's (re: Eugene Robinson's Op Ed). The blog got lots of comments -- many more than my measly entry will.
posted by PlanoTX on Nov 3, 2005 - 69 comments

So, ya got bears. And you've got bears, BEARS, Bears!, and guys who love Bears. (From here, probably NSFW) But bears? I had no idea. I guess they're everywhere. We know they're in Chicago, but they also inhabit northern woody areas, southern coastal habitats, and from June 10-12 they will ravage the countryside (can't deeplink, check "events"). These bears have their own spam portals, non-spam resource guides, personals, merchandise, graphic novels, newsfeeds, rules and regulations, and of course lots and lots of pr0n (that's not too graphic, but they're not called "bears" for no reason). I knew one of these guys my freshman year. I'm straighter than Peter North but he and his friends were some of the coolest people I've ever known. What are your favorite sex subcultures?
posted by saysthis on Feb 11, 2005 - 26 comments

Teddyport "Its discreet, its funky and now none of your friends will ever know you have a problem." Well, as long as they aren't observant enough to notice that you're ripping the head off of a stuffed bear and trying to drink from its neck...
posted by miss lynnster on Jan 5, 2005 - 22 comments

A 350 pound black bear wandered through the automatic doors of Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital. After being trapped in a computer room, law enforcement officers killed the bear. Sadly, as suburbs and towns grow out into the country, more bears are getting the worse of their relationship to humans.
posted by borkus on Jun 17, 2004 - 18 comments

"If I get a chance, I'll do it again. I think a bear would make a good pet." In a story that shocked Ottawa, an apparently clueless Quebec woodsman kidnaps a black bear cub, dunking it under water and dragging it by its hind leg. Police and wildlife officers force him to surrender the bear, which is released 60 km from its mother. Charges are pending -- definitely for possessing illegal wildlife, definitely, possibly for animal cruelty.
posted by mcwetboy on Sep 14, 2003 - 21 comments

Charlie Russell and Maureen Enns - authors of a popular book and the subject of a fascinating and well-recieved documentary - have been living for months at a time with bears in Kamchatka, demonstrating that man and grizzly can, in fact, inhabit the same landscape without violence - at least, no violence on the part of the bears... Their work has been brought to a tragic and all too human end... (Via Rafe Colburn, who notes, appropriately, "People suck.")
posted by JollyWanker on Aug 27, 2003 - 14 comments

Private zoos in China. This is one of the saddest pieces I've ever read--all the stories are terrible but especially the one on the bears. I thought the article made a good point on the focus on human right violations in China with a lack of attention on the treatment of animals. There should be some kind of organization either from outside or internally that addresses this issue.
posted by zinegurl on Dec 27, 2002 - 17 comments

Gloomy the Vicious Bear - we had a recent thread about the teddy bear turning 100. Here's a cute pink Japanese variation that retains a frighteningly feral blood lust. Osaka-based illustrator Mori Chack's innocent cartoon style belies the macabre nature. Just in time for the holidays, get your Gloomy Bear stuffed toys, hightops or other goodies before supplies run out! thanks, gmtPlus9.
posted by madamjujujive on Dec 13, 2002 - 17 comments

The Teddy bear turns 100 this weekend and is arguably one of the most popular toys of all time. They're cute, they're cuddly, and they're comforting. They've inspired songs and stories. They've even helped Hell's Angels show their softer side with annual toy runs.
posted by fredosan on Nov 14, 2002 - 5 comments

"From northern Alberta in the days of his cub-hood, a bear went astray and experienced the evils of alcohol and drugs and found it un-"bear"-able." Now you too can become a mascot costumed character! (In this case, Sober Bear.)
posted by kahboom on Dec 28, 2001 - 9 comments

Troy Hurtubise's grizzly-proof suit truly can repel a grizzly. In a matter of speaking.
posted by rocketpup on Dec 11, 2001 - 14 comments

Yum yum.
posted by evilmaryellen on Jul 18, 2000 - 12 comments