Search - Last Stand of the Great Bear on DVD

More than bears

Warren J. Dew | Somerville, MA USA | 07/08/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"When the salmon start gathering off the coast of British Columbia, so too do those who prey on them. Anticipating a yearly time of plenty, bears, wolves, and even killer whales collect to enjoy an annual feast.

Thus opens this documentary video of the Great Bear rain forest, a unique, 25,000 square mile region of temperate rain forest in British Columbia on Canada's west coast. The rain forest is the "Great Bear" of the video's name, but the forest contains more than just bears; the video also covers wolves and salmon in some depth, with cameo appearances by deer, the above mentioned killer whales, and a few other species.

Toward the beginning of the documentary, there are a number of scenes of the human researchers, but as the video progresses, the emphasis shifts to nature footage. Most of the attention is paid to how bears and wolves interact with the salmon - for example, how the bears eat just the eggs at the peak of the run, and wolves just the brains - but also shown are some confrontations between different bears, and between wolves and bears. There is also a substantial amount of information on other aspects of the forest, such as how the salmon end up providing nitrogen from the ocean to fertilize the trees.

There is also a short special feature on bears in various parts of Alaska, from the Aleutians to Prudhoe bay.

For bear lovers, this DVD is a good buy - but for those interested in learning more about the ecology of the unusual and unique Great Bear rain forest, it is excellent."

Spirit Bear Rules

S. Miller | Cleveland, OH | 01/14/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I enjoyed discovering the beauty and majesty of this pristine corner of the universe. The wildlife and scenery are captivating. This is a must see for any bear lovers. See rare footage of the elusive Spirit Bear (a white Black Bear). Who knew that wolves could fish? Both youth and adults will really enjoy this high quality National Geographic production."