Mother being a ubiquitous term, I’ve wanted to take the direction of the podcast in a way to celebrate the mother we all share, Mother Nature. I cannot think of a better person to launch this exploration than with Kevin Grange.
Kevin is one of those people that when he starts talking I can’t stop asking questions or listening to his stories. A former paramedic in Yellowstone and Grand Teton, Kevin has seen it all. He has been charged by grizzlies, rescued people gored by bison, and so much more. It’s his love of nature and the most fearsome predator, Ursus Arctos, that inspires his work. A brilliant writer, he has stories for days.
There existed a mother in nature so steadfast and strong and nurturing that she also deserves a celebration on About Your Mother. When the international star known as Grizzly Bear 399 died, I knew I had to honor her. The 28 year old female became an ambassador for the species because of her age, prolific reproduction, and for living so close to the community of Jackson, Wyoming.
She produced at least 18 offspring, including a set of quadruplets, during her remarkably long life. She not only inspired millions, she inspired Kevin. Me too.
How Kevin’s Parents Influenced His Love of Nature
Kevin has had a love for wildlife and nature from a young age thanks to his parent’s influence. They took him on his first camping trip at just six weeks old, and he grew up hiking, swimming, and fishing.
Kevin also has a love for medicine, so he merged it with his love for the outdoors to become a paramedic and park ranger in Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Teton National Parks. Today, he has a full-time position at Jackson Hole Fire EMS.
We Don’t Need to Control Wildlife, We Need to Control Humans Around Wildlife
If you’ve ever been to Yellowstone National Park, you are aware of Old Faithful, the geyser that erupts every 90 minutes. One time when Kevin was working there, around 300 people were waiting to see Old Faithful erupt when a grizzly bear sprinted past the ranger station and ran toward the geyser.
When the bear saw all the people surrounding Old Faithful, it got scared and ran up a tree. The people then surrounded the bear and it wasn’t able to come back down. The story is a metaphor for human’s relationship with wildlife. We think that bears are predatory, but the truth is that this bear was misplaced and trying to get back to the woods.
Kevin learned that his job is not to control the wildlife but to control the people around the wildlife. As he says in his book, “The bear is not crossing the road. It’s the road that’s crossing the forest.”
Can We Coexist With Bears?
When Kevin moved to Jackson Hole, he learned that the grizzly bear population had expanded and they were traveling outside of the National Parks. He decided to journey across the United States, including Alaska, to learn everything he could about bears to figure out how humans can coexist with them.
One famous bear he learned about was Grizzly 399, who raised 18 cubs across eight litters beside the road of Grand Teton National Park. She had no fear of humans and was considered a “gateway bear” that introduced people to the world of grizzly bears.
She also resonated with people because she was a devoted mother. Many think she purposefully raised her bear on the side of the road because she knew that adult male grizzlies wouldn’t hurt them if they were near humans.
Grizzlies have been portrayed as dangerous animals, but the reality is that bear attacks happen very infrequently. However, people should still be extremely cautious around bears.
Brown Bears vs Grizzly Bears
Brown bear and grizzly bears are genetically identical, which is why the terms can be used interchangeably. However, brown bears refer to bears that have access to the ocean while grizzly bears refers to bears that live in the interior of North America.
Little Known Facts About Bears
- Most bears are opportunistic omnivores rather than ferocious carnivores. They eat a mostly vegetarian diet because it’s the most predictable food source available to them. In fact, they are not very good at hunting.
- When bears have enough food and aren’t stressed or displaced, they have big, charismatic personalities. They can be quite goofy.
The Bear Study Group at Washington State University
Kevin went to Washington State University to observe their bear study program. They have 11 rescued bears on their campus that they’ve trained to do voluntary blood draws. The bears offer their paws through a fence to get their blood drawn, and they are rewarded with honey water.
The study is exciting because biologists believe that brown bear physiology may be able to cure human afflictions like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
The Biggest Threats to Bears
Black bears are currently being farmed for their bile because it is believed to have medicinal properties in Eastern medicine. Grizzly bears in the contingent United States are getting shot because people don’t like having them nearby.
Another problem is that the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem is not connected with the Northern Continental Divide ecosystem of Glacier National Park. This forces bears to exist on these ecosystem islands, and they’re not getting genetic diversity.
Why Bears Are Essential
Bears are an essential part of the natural landscape because they act as ecosystem engineers. For example, they till the soil with their claws, disperse seeds through their scat, and they scatter salmon carcasses all over the forest, which feeds trees with phosphorus and nitrogen.
There’s even an economic and cultural benefit to bears. Many Native Americans believe that it’s the grizzly bear that connects them to their past.
The Politics of Bears
Right now, the bears in the contingent United States are on the Endangered Species Act, which means they’re being managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife. If they get taken off the Endangered Species Act, which there is a ton of debate about, then they’re managed by the state.
While it sounds like a good thing for bears to no longer be an endangered species, taking them off the list means they would lose a lot of their current protections. Kevin agrees with Dr. Chris Servheen, who believes they need to stay on the list to avoid the rise of bear trapping and hunting.
How to Live in Harmony With Wildlife
If you live in a community like Jackson Hole where bears walk about, there are a few things you can do to protect them. First, get a bear resistant trash and compost bin so that they can’t eat something that is harmful to them. Next, remove hummingbird feeders and bird seed feeders and install a bird bath instead.
You can also protect bears by being responsible when you visit national parks and advocating for wildlife crossings.
Resources Mentioned
Dr. Chris Servheen Grizzly 399 DocumentaryConnect With the Guest
Kevin’s Book: Grizzly ConfidentialWebsite: https://www.kevingrange.com/
