“The quest for 8”. a journey to see all 8 species of bear in the world in their natural habitats.
An andean bear named paula in her rainforest home
A quest not only to see all 8 bear species of the world, but to see them in their natural habitats. from the jungles of Asia to the cloud forests of South America and all the way to the frigid arctic of North America and through the western plains of the united states. This is a feat not many can say they have accomplished, and I put it upon myself to not only try to make it happen but try it within a single year’s time! Such a task requires me to visit at least 5 countries on three continents, and have impeccable timing for each visit due to many bears hibernating or reaching unreachable areas at certain times of the year. This is something that took me almost an entire year to plan and coordinate.
When I first conceived this trip I was in my favorite place to photograph wildlife, that being Yellowstone NP . I was watching local grizzly bears and how they acted and a thought came to me of what the other bears in the world were like, how they acted, how they interacted with their local environments and the people within, and what their personalities were like. I have known other photographers to do similar with various bird species, but never heard of anyone doing it with bears!. And after researching each of the bears I realized a very sad truth, that most bears within the world are very threatened. whether it be because of global climate changes, being put in cages to be farmed for holistic medicines, or just a severe misunderstanding of the bears themselves. Everyone in the world knows about the threats to polar bears, and Pandas are the logo for the WWF and have since been taken off the endangered list because of actions taken to save them. But very few people know there are even 8 bear species in the world, much less the plight most of them face. And this is what fueled me to go on this mission, to give a voice to the bears that go unheard of or are unknown. the ones slowly approaching extinction if actions are not taken. To take action and bring awareness to as many people as I can. and to hopefully make an impact, and a difference in the world when it comes to these majestic and wonderful creatures.
